Committee members and teachers to taste midday meal

The Centre has issued new guidelines to state governments for the effective implementation and monitoring of the midday meal scheme.

The new guidelines stipulates that members of the steering-cum-monitoring committee, headed by Collectors at the district level and Sub-Divisional Officers at the block level, will have to taste the midday meal, besides one teacher, on a rotation basis before it is served. The school will have to maintain a record of the same.

“The issue of testing the food by the teacher is absolutely critical. The midday meal scheme guidelines in this regard should be strictly followed,” the Human Resource Development Ministry has told the state governments, while fresh guidelines for implementation of the scheme.

The district monitoring committee comprises district education officer, civil surgeon, food and civil supplies officer, one expert in the area of nutrition or child development and representatives of 3-5 blocks and municipal bodies, nominated by chairman of the panel.

The block monitoring committee, which is headed by the sub-divisional officer, comprises block education officer, medical officer in-charge of the public health centre and one official from department of food, besides others.

The Centre also wants MPs to play a key role in the monitoring of the scheme. In its fresh guidelines, the Ministry has made it mandatory for the district magistrates to invite local MPs to chair the meeting of district level vigilance and monitoring committee.

The meeting of the committee should be convened at least once in each quarter and minutes must be circulated along with Action Taken Note to all the members as well as uploaded on the website, the Ministry directed all the states.

The Ministry has also sought the state governments to prepare an emergency medical plan to avoid any untoward incident.

“If such an incident does occur, it should be the responsibility of the head master to inform the district education officer, district health officer and the district magistrate without any delay,” the Ministry said.

All states and union territories should issue necessary instructions from linkages with primary health centre, community centre and the district hospital to ensure early treatment of the children.

The district authorities must ensure that prompt medical attention is provided to children in the nearby medical facility or by deputing a doctor.

The Ministry laid special stress on carrying out social audit of the implementation
of the scheme, asking all the states to engage reputed institutes for carrying out such exercise and take corrective steps on their recommendations.