Govt to buy FCI’s surplus stock for mid-day meal scheme

The Union Cabinet had four weeks back approved sale of the surplus wheat and rice on BPL rates to any state or NGO to be distributed among the poor as food for work or food for attendance. Only the HRD Ministry showed interest.

The HRD Ministry has been spending Rs 1600 crore every year — almost half of its budget for the elementary education sector — on buying grain on APL (above poverty line) rates for the mid-day meal scheme. The scheme covers about 10 crore students of Class I to V of government, local body and government-aided schools in all the states and Union Territories, except Lakshadweep.

“Since more than half of our budget goes for the mid-day meal scheme, adequate resources could not be mobilised for educational programmes. With the economic cost (the actual APL cost) of foodgrain rising every year, we suggested to the Ministry of Consumer Affairs and Public Distribution reimbursing of the foodgrain cost to FCI on BPL rates instead of the economic cost,” said an official of the Department of Elementary Education and Literacy.

The Government agreed to the proposal on November 1, saving the department approximately Rs 80 crore per month. But the supply of foodgrain on BPL rates to HRD Ministry depends on availability of surplus stocks with the FCI. “Though the FCI had agreed to supply foodgrain on BPL rates only till March 31 next year, we are trying to persuade it to continue the scheme for the benefit of poor children,” the official said.

The FCI has the capacity to store up to 24 million tonnes of buffer stocks of foodgrain. It is right now saddled with more than 42 million tonnes while it is still procuring paddy for the ongoing kharif season.

The Elementary Education Department, on the other hand, allocated 100 grams of wheat/rice per child per school day where cooked meal was served and 3 kg of uncooked foodgrain per student per month, subject to a minimum of 80 per cent attendance by the student.

Interestingly, an independent survey conducted recently by Operations Research Group, in collaboration with UNICEF, in 10 states found that the mid-day meal scheme had given a boost to enrollment, school attendance and retention, especially among girls in rural areas.