Bhopal (Madhya Pradesh): The implementation of the Midday Meal scheme in rural government schools is facing serious challenges, with many institutions failing to properly report daily meal data under the Pradhan Mantri Poshan Shakti Nirman (PM Poshan) scheme.
According to the guidelines, authorities must upload information about the meals served to students with pictures onto the PM Portal daily. This scheme covers 88,107 schools statewide, including government, government-aided schools, and madrasas.
As of Friday morning, only 42,192 meals had been reported across all participating schools. In Bhopal's rural areas, the situation is especially concerning, with just 11 schools uploading their data, accounting for only 1,192 meals. Sunita Diwan, principal of a government primary school, said that in rural areas, the food is prepared in the school's own kitchen, which often leads to lower quality compared to urban schools.
This might be a reason why responsible individuals are not uploading the required details online, she added. Ravindra Jain, Block Resource Coordinator, said that schools are expected to provide daily updates on the number of meals served, accompanied by photographs so that the government can monitor the quality of the food served.
Inconsistencies in meal quality, reporting
In Bhopal’s urban areas, the meals are prepared and delivered by the Akshaya Patra Foundation, a private help group contracted by the government to provide food to all urban schools. However, schools in rural areas prepare their own meals in their own kitchens, leading to inconsistencies in meal quality and reporting.
