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Vikas Sharma
Tribune News Service
Jammu, May 3
The Mid Day Meal Division (MDMS), Department of School Education and Literacy, Union Ministry of Human Resource Development (HRD), has released Rs 2,240.87 lakh as recurring Central assistance to J&K for the national programme in schools for 2015-16.
The state has also been told to submit the utilisation certificate of the grant to the HRD Ministry within three months of the next financial year.
Sources said the Ministry had asked the state government to give priority to the weaker sections of society such as women, Scheduled Castes, Scheduled Tribes, Other Backward Categories and minorities in engaging the cook-cum-helpers under the Central scheme.
The Ministry made it clear that the cook-cum-helper should be engaged purely on a part-time basis and it will not bear any past service liability in this respect.
“A separate account will be maintained by the state government for the Central assistance being released under each category (primary and upper primary) to meet the payment of cook-cum-helpers under the scheme. The state may evolve a system for online payment to the Food Corporation of India (FCI) to avoid delay. The information on month-wise payment to the FCI may be made available to the department on a regular basis,” a statement said.
The HRD Ministry has also advised the state to strictly follow all instructions issued by it with regard to the implementation of the scheme and the funds earmarked for the special component plan for the Scheduled Castes and Scheduled Tribes Sub-Plan.
The National Programme of Nutritional Support to Primary Education, popularly known as the Mid-Day Meal Scheme was launched by the Centre on August 15, 1995.
The scheme covers nearly 12 crore children. The main objective of the scheme is to improve the nutritional status of children in government schools and government-aided schools, besides encouraging children from disadvantaged backgrounds to attend school regularly.
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