Finally,the state government has admitted unsatisfactory performance in providing midday meal to school students. In the last six years,the state government had been claiming achievement of the intended results in implementation of the scheme. On Saturday,after his meeting with state Chief Secretary Ardhendu Sen,state Education Secretary Bikram Sen said that 65 per cent school students in the state are covered under the scheme whereas in Kolkata,only 20 per cent primary school students are getting the midday meal. The education secretary said as adequate space to cook meal for school students is not available in Kolkata,the government is planning to build a central kitchen. Moreover we have decided to engage NGOs to run the scheme successfully in the state, said Bikram Sen Earlier,the Comptroller and Auditor General (CAG),in his latest report on implementation of the midday meal scheme in West Bengal,had criticised the state government for indifferent planning and monitoring of the scheme and non-achievement of its objectives. The report had stated that the implementation of the scheme in the state was plagued by various discrepancies particularly poor financial management and implementation strategies. The report also pointed out that students in as many as 7,321 primary schools are yet to be covered under the scheme. The state has about 49,200 primary schools in the state. It also states that in schools where the scheme is implemented,the number of days the midday meals are provided is less than what is prescribed. Bikram Sen said on Saturday the performance of primary schools is worse than the upper primary schools in implementation of the scheme. As much as 65 per cent of the upper primary school students are covered under the scheme,whereas only 55 per cent of the primary school students are getting midday meals. Government sources said that about 15 per cent of the foodgrains allotted for the midday meal programme are not being utilised. An official said the absence of regular inspection was one of the major reasons of the failure of the scheme. Sources said the chief secretary has asked the school education department to follow the guidelines given by the Central government in respect of implementing the scheme. For Kolkata area,the education department has decided to discuss the issue with the Kolkata Municipal Corporation.
