By cutting little corners, Delhi cooks a RS 38-crore mid-day meal scam
19 Nov 2014 12:03 AM
In Delhi alone, this scam is to the amount of rs 38.8 crore for the current year and its size at the all-India level is beyond ordinary estimation.
An expert committee headed by Principal Secretary of Education, Delhi government, has found that at least three children are being fed on the grain and cooking cost allocated for two children at primary level. It means NGOs engaged in supplying mid-day meals in the city are directly stealing Rs 3.34 and 100 gm of grain (wheat or rice) per meal per day at primary level and Rs 5.00 and 150 gm grain per meal per day at upper primary level, allocated for every third child.
This actual worth of the amount made by cutting corners is only understood when we realise that it affects 6,99,000 beneficiaries at primary and 4,42,500 at upper primary level. Calculated at an average attendance rate of 60 percent at primary level and 80 percent at upper primary level, the money siphoned off every day amounts to Rs 10,56,932; that is Rs 4,66,932 from primary level and Rs 5,90,000 at upper primary level.
At primary level, students are provided mid-day meal for 210 days and at upper primary for 220 days in a year. Thus the amount siphoned off by these NGOs comes to Rs 9.8 crore per year at primary level and Rs 12.98 crore at upper primary level. By the end of this financial year, these NGOs would drain the exchequer of Rs 22.78 crore. The amount is addition to money these NGOs would get by stealing 34,149 quintal wheat and 34,149 quintal rice which is share of every third student for whom they never cooked. The average cost of wheat and rice provided by the Food Corporation of India for this scheme would amount to Rs 15.61 crore annually.
Thus the total amount to be siphoned off from Delhi alone would add up to Rs 38.39 crore. Separate budget is provided by MHRD for cook cum helpers, testing cost of MDM samples, kitchens and utensils with strict guidelines not to divert even a single penny from costs. ‘There is no doubt that these NGOs are saving a huge amount of grain and money from the MDM scheme,’said Anita Malhotra, a member of the committee looking into the matter.
According to the panel the cooked weight of meal to be provided at primary level is just 250 gm and 375 gm to those in upper primary classes. On inspection the the cooked weight of rice based items came between 480-573 gm. The cooked weight of wheat based items were 425 to 442 gm. ‘This led to enormous saving by the NGOs,’ said Malhotra.
‘To overcome this ‘short-supply’ the quantities have to be increased and ladle sizes for each quantity should be prescribed for the service provider,’ said the committee adding that the nutritional norms ‘can’t be met in the presently served quantity of cooked mid-day meal.’
An expert committee headed by Principal Secretary of Education, Delhi government, has found that at least three children are being fed on the grain and cooking cost allocated for two children at primary level. It means NGOs engaged in supplying mid-day meals in the city are directly stealing Rs 3.34 and 100 gm of grain (wheat or rice) per meal per day at primary level and Rs 5.00 and 150 gm grain per meal per day at upper primary level, allocated for every third child.
This actual worth of the amount made by cutting corners is only understood when we realise that it affects 6,99,000 beneficiaries at primary and 4,42,500 at upper primary level. Calculated at an average attendance rate of 60 percent at primary level and 80 percent at upper primary level, the money siphoned off every day amounts to Rs 10,56,932; that is Rs 4,66,932 from primary level and Rs 5,90,000 at upper primary level.
At primary level, students are provided mid-day meal for 210 days and at upper primary for 220 days in a year. Thus the amount siphoned off by these NGOs comes to Rs 9.8 crore per year at primary level and Rs 12.98 crore at upper primary level. By the end of this financial year, these NGOs would drain the exchequer of Rs 22.78 crore. The amount is addition to money these NGOs would get by stealing 34,149 quintal wheat and 34,149 quintal rice which is share of every third student for whom they never cooked. The average cost of wheat and rice provided by the Food Corporation of India for this scheme would amount to Rs 15.61 crore annually.
Thus the total amount to be siphoned off from Delhi alone would add up to Rs 38.39 crore. Separate budget is provided by MHRD for cook cum helpers, testing cost of MDM samples, kitchens and utensils with strict guidelines not to divert even a single penny from costs. ‘There is no doubt that these NGOs are saving a huge amount of grain and money from the MDM scheme,’said Anita Malhotra, a member of the committee looking into the matter.
According to the panel the cooked weight of meal to be provided at primary level is just 250 gm and 375 gm to those in upper primary classes. On inspection the the cooked weight of rice based items came between 480-573 gm. The cooked weight of wheat based items were 425 to 442 gm. ‘This led to enormous saving by the NGOs,’ said Malhotra.
‘To overcome this ‘short-supply’ the quantities have to be increased and ladle sizes for each quantity should be prescribed for the service provider,’ said the committee adding that the nutritional norms ‘can’t be met in the presently served quantity of cooked mid-day meal.’
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