SHILLONG: In a significant move to restructure the Mid-Day Meal program in Meghalaya, the Meghalaya Schools Welfare Development Association – Central Body (MSWDA-CB) has submitted a detailed memorandum to T.K. Anil Kumar, IAS, Secretary to the Department of School Education and Literacy, Ministry of Education, Government of India.
The representation, routed through Vijay Kumar Mantri, IAS, Commissioner & Secretary of the Education Department, Government of Meghalaya, outlines critical ground-level obstacles and strategic recommendations to overhaul PM-POSHAN implementation across the state.
The memorandum, signed by MSWDA-CB President H.M. Marbaniang, Vice President N.L. Marsiangbai, and Secretary D.Q. Kharbuli, highlights severe financial and logistical constraints faced by local schools due to Meghalaya’s challenging geography and harsh weather.
It points out that current conversion cost allocations—₹6.78 per student for Lower Primary and ₹10.17 for Upper Primary—are woefully inadequate. Rising costs of essential commodities and difficulties in maintaining school kitchen gardens during heavy monsoons make it nearly impossible to meet nutritional targets.
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The association also criticized the existing food grain allocation, arguing that the 100-gram daily rice quota for Lower Primary students is insufficient and called for a realistic, uniform revision. On human resources, the MSWDA-CB emphasized the plight of Cook-cum-Helpers, who currently receive only ₹2,000 per month for 10 months a year. They demanded a significant increase in honorarium and coverage for all 12 months.
The memorandum further appealed for financial assistance or dedicated administrative staff to relieve school administrators from the heavy paperwork burden associated with managing the scheme.
Addressing infrastructure vulnerabilities, the MSWDA-CB recommended special policy provisions for hilly regions.
These include dedicated funds to construct weather-protected kitchen-cum-stores to replace outdated pre-2010 structures and targeted assistance for building dining halls so students can eat safely and comfortably despite relentless rain and age-damaged facilities.
(4FrontMedia news)
