Govt admits to mid-day meal anomalies in Meghalaya

  • 04/07/2008

  • Assam Tribune (Guwahati)

The Meghalaya government today admitted a nexus between school managing committees and distributors of foodgrain which has badly affected implementation of the Mid-day Meal Scheme (MDM). The government made the admission after a review meeting of the scheme in north-eastern states with Central Government officials here. Parliamentary Secretary Mass and Elementary Education Ampareen Lyngdoh told the media that certain managing committees and distributors were in nexus that resulted in distribution of poor quality foodgrain in schools under the scheme. Foodgrain for MDM meal scheme is distributed through the Public Distribution System (PDS). Many of the distributors of PDS have been supplying sub-standard foodgrain with tacit understanding with managing committees of schools. In Meghalaya, 7815 schools are covered under the MDM scheme. Over seven lakh school children at the primary level are beneficiaries of the scheme. "Since the quality of foodgrain is poor the MDM scheme has been affected as it's not palatable for consumption,' Lyngdoh told the media. The outspoken Lyngdoh said that at the state level the implementation was