Education Ministry urges Odisha to ensure mid-day meal quality, coverage verification
The project approval board (PAB) of PM POSHAN has asked the government to verify coverage of MDM in 8 districts - Mayurbhanj, Malkangiri, Jajpur, Puri, Balangir, Jagatsinghpur, Keonjhar and Kalahandi.
In 2024-25 academic session, while the state reported an average of 92 per cent (pc) of MDM coverage against enrolled students in primary and upper-primary grades, Malkangiri, Jajpur, Puri and Mayurbhanj reported 100 pc coverage, Balangir 99 pc, Jagatsinghpur 97 pc and Keonjhar and Kalahandi 96 pc each throughout the year.
Following a PAB meeting recently, secretary of department of School Education & Literacy under the ministry, Sanjay Kumar asked to verify the coverage and ascertain the real picture on the ground.
From November last year to June this year, both the state and the Centre revised the material cost of MDM thrice. Prior to that, though, school managements had to manipulate students' attendance to meet the MDM costs, sources said. 'Over-reporting of MDM was perhaps the only option to adjust the rising prices of commodities required to cook MDM,' said a primary teacher, requesting anonymity.
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