Poor utilisation of funds under Mid-Day Meal in NE

The Union Ministry of Human Resource Development (MHRD) has regretted that utilisation of the funds provided under the Mid-Day Meal (MDM) scheme in the north east region is poor.
Director (MDM) MHRD Gaya Prasad said an estimated Rs 1,300 crore has been earmarked for implementation of MDM scheme in the North East Region.
He, however regretted that MHRD is not getting proposals from the NE states, besides the utilisation of funds provided under MDM is also poor in the region.
There is no dearth of fund for implementation of the MDM scheme, but the problem is that the states do not send the proposals on time, he said at the valedictory function of two-day regional workshop on MDM scheme here last evening.

Prasad said that after the successful implementation of Interactive Voice Response System (IVRS) in Uttar Pradesh and Bihar, the MHRD has decided to launch it in the NE states from the next financial year to monitor proper implementation of the scheme.
He disclosed that proposals have already been put for enhancement of honorariums for cooks and helpers of MDM. He also said that based on the MDM price index the cooking cost of MDM would also be enhanced.
Nagaland Minister for School Education, C M Chang said the North Eastern states are finding difficulties to provide even the 10 per cent state share of the MDMS and requested the MHRD provide 100 per cent sponsorship for implementation of the scheme in the region.

Chang said the North Eastern states cannot be compared with other states of the country, because NE is a resource crunch region, except Assam.