An amount of ₹42.84 crore is due from the Union government in the first instalment for the mid-day meal scheme, Minister for General Education V. Sivankutty has said.
The Minister on Friday said that as per the project estimate approved by the Union government, its share in the scheme for the State in the 2023-24 year was ₹284.31 crore. If ₹32.34 crore, which was the balance from ₹292.54 crore received in 2022-23, was reduced, the State should receive a Central share of ₹251.97 crore in 2023-24. This amount should be sanctioned in two instalments of 60% and 40% as per guidelines. Accordingly, the first instalment of the Central share should be ₹151.18 crore. However, only ₹108.34 crore had been received. As in, it had reduced ₹42.84 crore from its first instalment share.
In 2022-23, Kerala had received ₹292.54 crore in all – ₹167.38 crore as the first instalment and ₹125.16 crore as the second instalment. However, the guidelines were unilaterally changed this year and the Union government decided to sanction 25% in four instalments this year.
This change in the guidelines without any discussion with the States had created a huge crisis in the scheme’s functioning.
In the 2022-23 year, only 28.4 lakh students of the 29.74 lakh students proposed had mid-day meal. Moreover, in the primary section, instead of 200 working days, mid-day meal was given for 199 days and in the upper primary section, instead of 220 working days ,food was given for 202 days. Change in the number of students proposed and the working days resulted in utilisation of only ₹260.19 crore from the Union government share of ₹292.54 crore. This was the reason for the remaining balance of ₹32.34.
Other than in 2021-22, there has been balance from the Union government share in all years. This is usually used for expenses the very next year. This amount has been reduced by the Union government from its first instalment for the 2023-24 year, the Minister said.
