PANAJI
The Goa Forward Party (GFP) has accused the State Education Department of lying about the release of central funds for mid-day meals. The party’s vice president Durgadas Kamat claimed that the Union Education Ministry released the first installment of Rs 7.94 cr in September 2022 and the second installment of Rs 7.36 cr on February 15 under the Pradhan Mantri Poshan Shakti Nirman.“The Education Director was made to lie saying they have not yet received Central Engine Funds towards Mid Day Meal Scheme…. Were these funds diverted for PR Events,” Kamat tweeted. The central share of funds under the national mission was released for the year 2022-23 towards the cost of food grains, material costs such as cooking gas, honorarium to cooks-cum-helpers, transportation assistance, and management monitoring and evaluation.
The party functionary alleged that Chief Minister Pramod Sawant’s department “has gone off track” advising that he should emphasise the efficiency of the Education Department.
The GFP earlier this week submitted a letter to the Chief Secretary urging to ensure that payment of pending dues are released without further delay and on priority while citing that the department is yet to pay around Rs 3.75 lakh to the self-help groups.
With the poor quality of the mid-day meals often surfacing, the self-help groups (SHGs) last year demanded releasing its pending dues and increase in meal rates to ensure providing better quality meals to several thousand students on a day-to-day basis.
The Commission for Protection of Child Rights intervened in the fiasco asking the Director of Education to ensure a solution to the crisis. The rates per meal were thereafter approved by the government in November.
