National Programme of
MID DAY MEAL SCHEME IN SCHOOLS [MDMS]
1. INTRODUCTION
DEMOGRAPHIC PROFILE OF THE STATE.
ikkim – a small Himalayan State became the 22nd state of India in the year 1975. Situated in-between latitudes 270-280 N and longitudes 880-890 S, in the North Eastern part of India, the State shares its borders with China in the north, Bhutan in the East, Nepal in the west and Darjeeling District in the south.
The capital of the State is Gangtok. According to the Census 2001, the population of Sikkim is 5.40 lakhs of which 2.52 lakhs are female. Sikkim’s population density per square kilometers comes to 76.
Table I: Population of Sikkim
Sl. no. / Name of the District / Male / Female / Total1 / North / 22643 / 17139 / 39782
2 / South / 68227 / 63279 / 131506
3 / East / 132917 / 112123 / 245040
4 / West / 63912 / 59344 / 123256
State / 287699 / 251885 / 539584
Source: Primary Census Abstract CD6 Year: 2003
As maybe seen at Table I; East district has the highest population whereas North District is the least populated.
Table II: SC/ST Gender-wise Population of Sikkim
Sl. No. / District / PopulationSC / ST
Male / Female / Total / Male / Female / Total
1 / North / 523 / 356 / 879 / 11103 / 10306 / 21409
2 / South / 3144 / 3110 / 6254 / 10316 / 10156 / 20472
3 / East / 7275 / 7002 / 14277 / 23070 / 22251 / 45321
4 / West / 2933 / 2814 / 5747 / 12249 / 11580 / 23829
State / 13875 / 13282 / 27157 / 56738 / 54293 / 111031
Source: Primary Census Abstract CD6 Year: 2003.
Table II shows the Gender-wise population of SC/ST in the State. The SC population is highest in the East District. The highest concentration of ST (53.81%) is seen in the North District. There are four districts of Sikkim viz. North District- with 55.56% of the total area of Sikkim which is 7096 square kilometers. 13.44% falls under the East District, 10.57% in the South District and 16.43% in the West District. Most of the 7096 sq km of Sikkim consists of Himalayan glaciers, mountainous terrain that is interspersed with ravines and green valleys.
The State is blessed with rich natural resources like dense forest, variety of flora and fauna, lakes, glaciers and rivers such as Teesta and Rangit which originating from the serene glaciers of the Himalayas meander through before their confluence at Darjeeling District, West Bengal. Over 4000 species of different plants and shrubs, around 700 species of rare Orchids and rhododendrons have transformed Sikkim into a nature’s paradise. The three main communities in Sikkim viz. Lepchas, Bhutias and Nepalis live harmoniously, with Agriculture being their mainstay of livelihood and thus the backbone of the State’s economy. The unparallel beauty of the State and very friendly and hospitable people are its competitive and comparative advantages.
Literacy:
Sikkim has higher level of literacy than the national average. The literacy rate as per the 2001 Census is 69.68%, which is higher than all India average (65.38%). The female literacy rate is 61.46%, which is also higher than all India figure(54.38%)
1.1 Brief history, objectives and rationale of the Mid Day Meal Programme
National Programme for Nutritional support to Primary Education Mid-Day Meal Scheme was launched as a Centrally Sponsored Scheme on 15th August, 1995 in a phased manner all over India. Its objective was to boost “Universalisation of Primary Education by increasing enrolment, retention, attendance and simultaneously impacting on nutrition of students in primary classes”. The programme originally covered children of primary level (classes I to V) in government, local body and government aided schools. In October 2002, the programme was extended to cover children studying in Education Guarantee Scheme (EGS) & AIE centers and from the same year the hot cooked meal was started in the State of Sikkim. Prior to the year 2001-02 the food grain (Rice) provided by the Government of India @3kgs per child per month for 10 academic months in a year, was distributed as dry rations to the children. However, the Supreme Court in its order dated: 28.11.2001 in WP(C) NO. 196 of 2001- People’s Union for Civil Liberties versus Union of India and other, directed all the state governments to provide cooked Mid-Day-Meal containing 300 calories and 8 to 10 grams of protein per serving.
Cooked Mid-Day-Meal Scheme was implemented in Sikkim from 2002.
The following table shows category wise break-up of its population as per the 2001 Census.
Total Population
District / TotalPopulation / Male / Female / SC / ST / Literate
% / Male
% / Female
%
East / 245040 / 132917 / 112123 / 14277 / 45321 / 74 / 81.2 / 66.8
West / 123256 / 63912 / 59344 / 5747 / 23829 / 58.45 / 66.8 / 50.1
North / 39782 / 22643 / 17139 / 879 / 21409 / 66.5 / 76 / 57
South / 131506 / 68227 / 63279 / 6254 / 20472 / 67.79 / 74.57 / 61.02
State / 539584 / 287699 / 251885 / 27157 / 111031 / 69.68 / 76.73 / 61.46
Sources: Census:2001.
Children Population:
Sl.No / District / 6-11 Years / 11-14 Years. / 6-14 YearsBoys / Girls / Total / Boys / Girls / Total / Boys / Girls / Total
1. / East / 15735 / 15566 / 31301 / 7871 / 7262 / 15133 / 23606 / 22828 / 46434
2. / West / 10685 / 10488 / 21173 / 3565 / 3347 / 6912 / 14250 / 13835 / 28085
3. / North / 2804 / 2819 / 5623 / 1361 / 1235 / 2596 / 4165 / 4054 / 8219
4. / South / 7884 / 7341 / 15225 / 6084 / 6034 / 12118 / 13968 / 13375 / 27343
Total / 37108 / 36214 / 73322 / 18881 / 17878 / 36759 / 55989 / 54092 / 110081
Source: Household Survey 2007.
1.2. Process of Plan Formulation.
Keeping in view of the experiences gained during previous years for implementation of MDM in the schools, basically the short comings of the procedures, mechanisms hitherto adopted are kept in mind in terms of transportation, cooking, preparation of quality meal and hygienic and quality preparation cooked in the schools. These issues have been made as base line of preparation of plan. On top of this, the coverage of school children including all schools under SSA, Monastic, Sanskrit Pathshalas and AIE have been thought off and included in the plan for well being of the school children who are being served hot mid day meal. Secondly, procedures of systematic percolation of information to the lowest level of field functionaries and ensuring transparency, quality and accountability by all individual departmental personnel involved in the mid day meal scheme was also the base line of our plan. Further, the new Guidelines of MDM issued by the MHRD, New Delhi for cooking assistances, transportation etc. are kept in mind while preparing the Plan Formulation for making the implementation MDM more effective and worth replicating by others.
2. Description and assessment of the programme implemented in the current year (2009-10) with reference to:
2.1. Regular and wholesomeness of mid day meals served to children; reasons for programme interruption, if any and planning to minimize them.
Cooked Mid-Day-Meal served to school children of Sikkim up-to Primary level (class I-V) from 2002 and from class (VI-VIII) are being provided from the academic session 2008, Though GOI norms don’t cover the children of Pre-Primary classes for hot cooked meal but Sikkim had unique system of such pre-primary classes in all the Schools, these children were given hot cooked meal till the end of academic session of 2009. However, the Pre-Primary classes are now attached to Aaganwadi centers under Social Welfare Department from the academic session 2010.academic session. Sikkim state has not come across with any major interruption except a few cases of slightly delay in reaching the food grains during monsoon sessions because of blockade of roads, however, with a view mitigate such problems the Heads of Schools are advised to keep buffer stock of food grains during such period.
2.2. Food grains management, including adequacy of allocation, timely lifting, transportation and distribution, and suitability of storage at different levels. Challenges faced and plan to overcome them.
With regard to food grains management, after having received the Release Order from FCI (HQ) the District In-charge shall lift the food grains from FCI Jorethang and Rangpo (Sikkim). The food grain is lifted and restored to certain Principal Distribution Centers or Godown earmarked by the Human Resource Development Department. FCI Jorethang center caters for South & West districts whereas Rangpo center caters East & North Districts. After having stored to certain distribution centers the food grain then gets distributed to each of the school. In the School level distribution system, the food grains were stored in a room of the school building in the past few years, now MDM Division of MHRD, GOI has sanctioned kitchen sheds for 245 schools in 2006-07 and 555 kitchen shed during 2007-08 @ 60,000/- per unit. Which has a provision of kitchen cum store room.. This has mitigated the problem of storage of food grains in schools. This process is adopted for the last few years, however, from the academic session 2010 the transportation of food grain shall be made by the private transporter and food grain shall be reached to all complex organizers without storing any where like previous years.
2.3 System of release of funds provided under cooking cost (Central and State). Please indicate the dates when the fund was released to Directorate/State Authority, District/Block/Gram Panchayat and finally to the Cooking Agency/School.
Government of India transfers the fund in two installments to the State Government against the budget provision provided in the Annual Plan. Separate heads of accounts are maintained for the Central and the State funds. Schools heads/SMC submit their bills in a form of statement whichis duly certified by the heads of the Institution supported by the bills of [vegetables, condiments, pulses, dal, gas etc]. On the basis of the bills submitted by School heads the district officials / in-charges concerned shall compile the bills in a statement certified by the district authority and submit to the MDM division, HRDD (HQ). Thereafter, the MDM division processes the bills for concurrence through Accounts Section-Planning-Finance & NECAD and sanction by the cabinet. After that funds are transferred to concerned district and the bills are prepared for release of payment. The procedure being followed for release is same for both the central and state fund. Once the cheques are issued they get disbursed to the School Managing Committee (SMC).
Cooking Cost :
Central Assistance of cooking cost for 2009-10:
Primary : (Rs.286.10 lakh].
Upper Primary : [Rs.120.14 lakh]
1. Released Central Asst for cooking cost [Pry]:
1st installment : Rs. 143.05 lakh in Sept. 09
2nd installment : Rs. 143.05 lakh in Oct, 09.
2. Released Central Asst for cooking cost [Upper Pry]:
1st installment: Rs. 60.07 lakh in Sept. 09
2nd installment: Rs. 60.07lakh in Oct, 09.
A] Payment for cooking cost from Feb, 09 to June, 09 was transferred to District on December, 2010 which comes to the tune to Rs.264.55 lakh.
B] Payment for cooking cost from July, 09 to Dec, 09 which comes to the tune to Rs.323.22 lakhs.
3. Opening Balance as on 1.4.2010 :- Rs. Nil.
2.4 System for procuring cooking ingredients ( pulses, vegetables
including leafy ones, salt, condiments, oil and fuel etc), Commodities, which are centrally purchased and supplied to schools or locally purchased at school level.
Cooking ingredients such as oil and condiment are purchased from the nearest grocery shop. Gas Bhattis to 447 schools are supplied by the STCS [State Trading Corporation of Sikkim] There are remaining schools to be supplied Gas Bhattis which enable the Cooks to provide the hygienic food to the children. The procurement of cooking ingredients are managed by the SMC / SHG / NGO whosoever is assigned for cooking assignment in the Schools. The head of School shall regularly monitor the cooking of meals.
2.5 System for cooking, serving and supervising mid day meals in the
school and measures to prevent any untoward happening.
The School Managing Committee (SMC)/Self Help Groups/NGO engages a cook (local person- most preferably a women of financially weak condition or from a backward class). Mid-Day-Meal cooking and serving is supervised by the members of SMC, Head of the Institutions, Teachers, Guardians (mother) in turn.
2.5 Procedure for getting Kitchen shed constructed.
Kitchen shed are constructed from funds released from the centre under MDM Programme. Fund for kitchen shed for 245 schools amounting to Rs. 147.00 lakhs has been released during 2006-07 and utilized, Against the sanctioned amount of Rs. 333.00 lakhs for 555 schools during 2007-08 by the GOI, 518 kitchen shed had been constructed with the amount of Rs.310.80 lakh. GCI and the roof truss and its peripherals are being supplied to schools through SIMFED [Sikkim Marketing Federation Deptt], Govt. of Sikkim and 50% of the rest amount are made as advance payment to SMCs to execute the work and the final payment are made on the basis of the Completion Report by the Head of the institution, Panchayat, Asst. Director of the concerned BAC (Block Administrative Centre), report is compulsorily supported by the Photograph and other relevant documents while submitting the bills.
Status and fund position of kitchen shed at a glance: