Jaipur: The UPA’s mid-day meal programme in Rajasthan is in tatters. The recently released Monitoring Institutions (MIs) report has revealed glaring anomalies in implementation of the scheme with many children in the state not getting any benefits and some actually going hungry. According to a report, the scheme is not being implemented on a regular basis in some schools in the Pali district. The findings, based on figures between April 2011 and September 2011, were shared recently by the Union HRD ministry. The report further says that in a school in Dholpur, mid-day meals had not been served in the last six months. There has also been a delay in releasing cooking funds in Bharatpur and Dholpur, grossly affecting the supply of meals to the children. The MI report also pointed to caste-based discrimination in Rajasthan along with states like Odisha and Madhya Pradesh. Caste-based discrimination was reported in primary and upper primary school in Bharatpur, 17.5% school in Jaisalmer and 67.5% school surveyed in Pratapgarh. In some schools of Rajasthan it was also noticed that only girls were serving the meals. On quality and quantity, the report says that in one Dholpur school, the children reported that they only get a maximum of two chapattis. No extra chapattis are given. In Dungarpur, 38% school children expressed dissatisfaction with the quality of the meals. In Pratapgarh district, the report observed that in 55% schools there was a delay in payment of honorarium (cook and helpers) which ranged from 3-6 months. On safety and hygiene, in Pali district 37% school teachers reported that discipline was poor during distribution of the meals. In Karauli district, fruits are seldom part of the menu, according to 2.5% of the surveyed schools. FOOD FOR THOUGHT No regular supply of meals in Pali In a school in Dholpur, meals not served for last 6 months In some schools only girls serving meals In one Dholpur school children only get a maximum of 2 chapattis No fruits given to kids in a Pokhran school 20.3% schools dissatisfied due to non-inclusion of fruits and vegetables No fruits given to kids in Pokhran school Jaipur: The UPA’s mid-day meal programme in Rajasthan is in tatters. The recently released Monitoring Institutions (MIs) report has revealed glaring anomalies in implementation of the scheme with many children in the state not getting any benefits and some actually going hungry. In Dausa district fruits are not given once in a week in 2.5% of schools surveyed. In the same district, the quantity is not considered enough in 15% schools. In a Pokhran school in Jaisalmer, fruits have never been distributed to children. Also, no functionary visited the school and checked the quality of the meals served. There was a glimmer of positivity too. In Jaisalmer, 86.2% school children reported that they were satisfied with the quantity of the meals. However, in Dungarpur, Pali and Jaisalmer children were not satisfied with the quality. Out of 54 schools where children expressed dissatisfaction with the meals, 20.3% schools reported they were dissatisfied because of absence of fruits and green vegetables. Rajasthan’s MDM deputy commissioner Devkinandan Sharma said, “Whatever the shortcomings such reports find, we act on them to iron them out. We have issued directions to the districts to act on it properly.”