Teachers in Maharashtra Fund Mid-Day Meals Amid Drought Crisis
Teachers in Maharashtra are personally financing mid-day meals for students due to delays in government funding amidst severe drought conditions.
Teachers have been covering costs for mid-day meals for four months.
The drought has severely impacted food availability for families, making school meals vital.
Delays in fund disbursement have left cooks unpaid, raising concerns about their livelihoods.
In Maharashtra, teachers and headmasters have been forced to use their own funds to maintain mid-day meal programs in government schools for the past four months. This situation has arisen due to delays in the disbursal of the PM Poshan fund, a central initiative aimed at providing nutritious meals to students. The ongoing drought, affecting approximately 70% of the state, has exacerbated the issue, as many families struggle with reduced agricultural incomes, making school meals one of the few reliable sources of nutrition for children.
The headmaster of a school in Beed, who chose to remain anonymous, reported that while food grains and pulses have been supplied, the costs for cooking fuel and vegetables have fallen on the teachers since mid-June. He emphasized the necessity of various ingredients beyond staples, stating, "You need more than just cauliflower or potatoes to make the meals." He noted that many children are now receiving only minimal nutrition at home, making the school meal crucial for their health.
Officials have indicated that the funding delays stem from complications in adopting the single nodal agency (SNA) SPARSH, which is responsible for managing direct cash transfers in centrally sponsored schemes. Although the central government has finally released funds for worker salaries, headmasters have expressed concerns over the inadequacy of the reimbursements. For instance, a headmaster in Wardha mentioned that the government allocates only Rs 2.59 per student for classes 1 to 5 and Rs 3.71 for classes 6 to 8, which is insufficient to cover the costs of nutritious meals.
The implications of this funding crisis extend beyond the classroom. With 1.58 lakh workers employed under the mid-day meal scheme, many of whom are women from marginalized communities, the inability to pay salaries has sparked protests. Ashok Thorat, national secretary of the Mid-Day Meal Workers’ Federation of India, criticized the government for blaming software issues while ensuring timely payments for officials. He highlighted the desperation of workers who continue to show up despite not being paid for months, fearing job loss.
Looking ahead, officials have assured that the necessary funds will be disbursed soon, with expectations set for completion within the next 8-10 days. However, the persistent delays and the burden placed on teachers raise significant questions about the sustainability of the mid-day meal program and the welfare of both students and workers in Maharashtra's ongoing drought crisis.
