PM-POSHAN funds half the way to Odisha 

The Odisha government has urged the Union Education minister Dharmendra Pradhan to release the pending PM-POSHAN funds  for smooth management of mid-day meals (MDM) in the state.

Through the letter, the School and Mass Education minister Samir Ranjan Dash said to Pradhan sought release of the second installment of funds under PM-POSHAN to the tune of Rs 30,895 lakh for the year 2022-23.

Under the scheme, most components, including the cooking cost, are split in a 60:40 ratio between the central government and the states. The annual work budget plan for implementing the MDM scheme in the 2022-23 financial year is Rs 1,04,971.3 lakh with the Centre’s share being Rs 59,681.2 lakh and state’s Rs 45,290 lakh.

While the Centre bears the total cost of food grains, transportation of food grains and management and monitoring of mid-day meals,state bears the cooking cost and honorarium paid to cooks-cum-helpers and due to this the state is facing a hard time to release the required funds. Before this

teachers are managing the meals but as they are standing against the government, have announced not to cooperate in the process till their demands are met. As per the provisions of NFSA, all such students are entitled to one hot cooked meal every day except on school holidays.