Centre withholds grant for midday meal; setback to fundstarved govt

BITTER BITE Funds from MHRD not here yet due to nonrelease by the state of its own share

CHANDIGARH:The Union ministry of human resource development (MHRD) has withheld the release of central grant to Punjab for the mid-day meal scheme for schoolchildren due to “non-release” of the state’s own share.

The ministry, which approved a grant of Rs 165 crore for Punjab under the National Programme of Mid-Day Meal in Schools for the financial year 2017-18, released an initial ad hoc assistance of Rs 40.17 crore about six months ago, but has not made any further fund release.

The scheme – the largest programme of its kind in the world – is jointly funded by the Centre and the states on 60:40 sharing basis.

“States are given funds in three instalments. The first tranche of 25% was sanctioned on May 1 and another 35% was due for release in July after adjusting the unspent balance from the previous year ,” an H RD ministry official told HT. “The state did not give its full share last year. It has delayed release of matching contribution this year also. Due to lack of clarity on utilisation of central assistance given last year, no further money has been granted.” The state share is Rs 95 crore this year.

While Punjab has got only 25% of the central assistance approved for 2017-18 so far, almost all other states have been given 60%. MHRD director, midday meal, G Vijaya Bhaskar also sent a letter to the state governments last month asking them to send proposals for release of final instalment of the central assistance along with details of their matching contribution and expenditure.

The state’s director general, school education, Prashant

Kumar Goyal, said there was problem of fund flow from July onwards, but the finance department has started streamlining things.

“The flow will be smooth in the next 2-3 weeks. Already the finance department has released Rs 25 crore. Thereafter, we will send the case for release of central grant,” he said. However, a department official pointed the finger at the previous SAD- BJP government for not releasing the matching state share last year, saying that central funds were diverted to other works in the election year. Congress too power in March this year.

The delay in central grant is a setback for the fund-starved state government which has been trying to scrounge up cash for paying salaries and to roll out its poll promises, particularly the debt waiver scheme for small and marginal farmers.

The fund crunch has already hit the scheme in parts of the state with some government schools discontinuing the free lunch. In other areas, school teachers have been serving meals by paying from their pockets or taking credit.

The ministry had, while approving the state’s plan in March, pulled up the state education department for delay in release of funds to schools, besides for less coverage and lack of proper monitoring.