Centre seeks report from West Bengal after sharp decline in students availing mid-day meals
The Centre has sought a report from the West Bengal government after official figures showed that more than 40% of students did not avail mid-day meals under the Pradhan Mantri Poshan Shakti Nirman scheme in 2024-'25 in the state, The Indian Express reported on Thursday.
Citing the latest minutes of the Programme Approval Board under the scheme, the newspaper reported that 10 lakh fewer students availed the scheme in 2025-'26 as compared to 2023-'24.
The Pradhan Mantri Poshan Shakti Nirman, a centrally-sponsored scheme, is aimed at providing nutritious meals to students enrolled in government and aided schools.
According to the Programme Approval Board, more than 40% of the students enrolled in the scheme did not avail the mid-day meal in 2024-'25 in 15 districts in the state. Cooch Behar had the least coverage at 46%.
The Programme Approval Board also stated that there had been a reduction of 4.01 lakh in students enrolment in the scheme from 2023-'24 to 2024-'25, according to the newspaper. There was a reduction of 8.04 lakh in actual student coverage, it added.
The minutes added that the proposed enrolment for 2025-'26 in the state also dropped by 6 lakh students.
'The PAB [Programme Approval Board] expressed that efforts may be made to cover all the eligible students under the [mid-day meal] scheme,' The Indian Express quoted the minutes as saying.
Coverage under the Pradhan Mantri Poshan Shakti Nirman at the pre-primary level was 78%, while it stood at 74% at the primary level, the Programme Approval Board said. However, the number fell sharply to 58% at the upper primary level.
The data showed that 1,13,44,146 students were enrolled under the scheme in 2024-'25 but only 77,91,946, or about 69%, received the mid-day meals, The Indian Express reported. In 2025-'26, coverage has been approved for 80,16,881 students, the minutes stated.
The Programme Approval Board also claimed that a few schools, implementing agencies and municipal corporations were still holding funds outside Single Nodal Agency accounts, or bank accounts established by a state government for a specific centrally-sponsored scheme.
'The state has been advised to transfer these funds immediately and take action against officials responsible for the delays and violations of Government of India guidelines,' The Indian Express quoted the minutes as saying.
In light of the minutes, the additional secretary of the Department of School Education and Literacy under the Union government expressed 'serious concern' about this trend and sought a report from the West Bengal government by June 30.
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