Central team starts ‘routine’ midday meal scheme review in West Bengal

A 13-member central team has started reviewing the status of the midday meal scheme in West Bengal schools. The review began with the district of North 24 Parganas on Monday and will continue till February 6.

The team comprises Union education ministry officials, one nutritionist, one UNICEF representative, and the director of PM Poshan Scheme, V Bhaskar. The members also held a high-level meeting with state education department officials, said an official.

The team, which reached Kolkata on Sunday evening, will check school infrastructure and the quality of food served to schoolchildren under the midday meal scheme.

“Routine visit”

“This is a routine visit. We carry out such reviews in the states every year. We will try to visit as many districts as possible. Today, we met the officials of the school education department. Today is a testing day,” said a team member after the meeting.

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She said the team is likely to speak to schoolchildren and their parents.

The Centre has recently allocated Rs 372 crore under the PM Poshan scheme to the state to provide nutrition to school students. It has also released an additional fund of Rs 250 crore to the school education department for infrastructural development.

(With agency inputs)