Information required Review of Mid Day Meal Implementation in the States Submitted 1. Management Structure in place for MDMS with clear roles and responsibilities MHRD (MDM) State Govt., Education Deptt SNO, MDMS & DEE,Assam DNO, MDMS & Deputy Comissioner/Principal Secy,Autonomous Council/ (DEEO / Inspector of Schools/ DI of School / BEEO) School /Institution/ Centre /SMC The State Govt. Education Department is the Nodal Department for implementation of MDMS and is responsible for sanctioning of fund, release of ceiling, correspondence with Govt. of India. Timely submission of report to the Govt. of India and overall supervision and issue of notification of Guidelines for implementation of Mid-Day Meal scheme. Director Elementary Education, Assam & SNO, MDMS is responsible for withdrawal of fund against the sanction received from the Govt. and release of the fund to the DNOs, MDMS. Preparation of Annual Work Plan & Budget, Quarterly progress report, Monthly offtake report for submission of the same to the Govt. with full responsibility. Director of Elementary Education, Assam & SNO, MDMS are also responsible for district wise allocation of rice to the DNOs, MDMS. The SNO MDMS is also responsible for overall supervision and monitoring of the scheme. Deputy Commissioner & DNOs, MDMS, responsible for sub-allocation of rice to the Gram Panchayat Samabay Samitee (GPSS) in time and timely release of cooking cost, Honorarium to cook-cum-helper, transportation cost, cost of foodgrains to FCI. He is also responsible for overall supervision of scheme in the districts. The Food & Civil Supply Department will be the Nodal Agency of the State for transportation. The DNOs, MDMS are also responsible for timely lifting of rice and delivery of the same to the schools. The DNOs, MDMS are also responsible for daily serving of quality, safety and hygienic cooked food to the students. The DNOs, MDMS are also responsible for convey of SMC meeting, District level vigilance committee meeting with active co-ordination of 1
civil supply, Health, Social Welfare, Panchayat & Rural Development Deptt. & PHE Deptt. District Elementary Education Officer/Inspector of Schools/Deputy Inspector of Schools /Block Elementary Education Officer, responsible for serving quality, safety and hygienic food to the students under Mid-Day Meal Scheme. The above Officers are also responsible for regular monitoring of the scheme and regular submission of inspection report. Headmaster and other Teachers are responsible for testing of cooked food before serving the same to the children and the same is to be recorded in a Register. Teachers should observe the hygienic habit such as regular cutting of nails, washing hands & feet with soap and washing eating dish before and after taking meal. The Headmasters of the schools are also responsible for maintenance of Mid-Day Meal accounts. He is also responsible for ensured of serving Mid-Day Meal in safety and hygienic condition. SMC/Mother Groups are responsible for serving safety & hygienic hot cooked food to the children maintaining the nutritional value of the guidelines of Mid-Day Meal Scheme. The cooking, serving & eating environment must be cleaned, hygienic. One or two SMC/Mother Groups member are responsible for tasting cooked food before servicing of the same to the students. Cook-cum-helpers are responsible for washing and cleaning utensil and raw materials before cooking and preparation of food with hygienic and safety environment. Cook-cum-Helpers are also responsible for storing the food in containers which should protect from moisture and pests. Cooking utensil should be cleaned and dried everyday after use. Whether exclusive structure?: No Who is responsible at school for implementation of scheme and who operates account? Implementing agency SMC. Joint signatory of President (elected) & Member Secy (Head Master). 2. Instructions issued by the State on tasting food by teachers/smc members Instruction has already been issued to the Deputy Commissioner & DNOs, MDMS/ Principal Secretary & DNOs, MDMS/ District Elementary Education Officer/Deputy Inspector of Schools/ Block Elementary Education Officer vide Govt. letter PMA/MDM- Cell/62/2011/32 dtd.25/7/2013 and Director of Elementary Education, Assam letter No.EPM.32/2006/366 dtd.22/7/13 and EPM.45/2013/9 dtd.22/7/2013 for tasting cooked Mid-Day Meal before serving to the students. 2
3. Safe storage of foodgrains Whether the new Kitchen-cum-stores follow the guidelines proposed by Kabir Bajpayee proposal on kitchen-cum-stores Construction of Kitchen cum store as per new guidelines is under process. The Govt. has entrusted SSA, Assam for construction of Kitchen-cum-Store through SMC as per new plan prepared on the basis of Kabir Bajpayee s Design. Kitchen-cum-stores 2012-13 Physical Sanctioned Constructed 40593 56795 In progress 5460 Yet to start 10742 4.Capacity building/cooks/inspectors/organizing State level meetings with all district staff 5. Current procedure of supply of oils/pulses/condiments and possibility of procuring the same in a centralized manner on the lines of Maharashtra Training of cook-cum-helper has already been completed at Block level as per module prepared in Assamese language. The State level review meeting held time to time wherein Hon ble Education Minister, Assam present and addressed before the Officers present in the meeting for regular monitoring of implementation of Mid-Day Meal with safety and hygienic environment. On 12 th July/2013 a meeting was held with the Officers of 5 (five) poor performing districts. Further on 1 st August, 2013, a State level Review Meeting on implementation of Mid-Day Meal Scheme will be held wherein all the representative of Deputy Commissioner s (incharge of MDMS)/ Principal Secretary (incharge of MDMS)/ District Elementary Education Officer /Deputy Inspector of Schools /Block Elementary Education Officer will be present in the review meeting. The Hon ble Education Minister, Assam will address in the meeting. The SMC of the schools are entrusting for procurement and supply of oils/pulses/ condiments/ Double fortified salt and locally available green leafy vegetables for preparation of cooked Mid-Day Meal. As per new guidelines notified by the State Govt. a ten members committee of Mother Group will purchase the ingredients use for cooked Mid-Day Meal. The State Govt. has not takes any policy for procuring ingredients in a centralized manner. It is to be mentioned here that the Akshay Patra foundation a NGO has provided cooked MDM in 569 schools of Kamrup (M) & Kamrup (R) districts. 3
6.IEC/Media initiatives about Awareness/publicity of MDMS 7.Details about SSMC meetings/committee under the MP in the district with Departments of Civil Supplies, Education, Health, Social Welfare, Panchayats, Rural Development, Drinking Water and Sanitation For wide publicity of the scheme big size hoardings were displayed in front of the Office of the Deputy Commissioner & DNOs, MDMS/District Elementary Education Officers Office/ Block Elementary Education Officers office. MDM Logo have also been displayed in the school wall for awareness among the local people. The MDM calendar, 2013-14 has also been distributed to all the schools covered under Mid-Day Meal Scheme and the offices of Education Department. In the MDM Calendar number of days serving Mid-Day Meal alongwith with weekly menu has been displayed. Responsibilities of various officials and cook-cum-helpers given in newspaper 26 th July, 2013 (Agradut). The State Steering cum Monitoring Committee meeting was held on 28/2/2013 under the Chairmanship of the Chief Secretary, Assam. SSMC held in 2012-13: 2 As regards formation of District level Vigilance Committee & District Level Monitoring Committee under MDMS letter has been issue vide this office letter No.EPM.47/2013/6 dtd.23/7/2013 and Govt. letter No.PMA/MDM-Cell/62/2011/32 dtd.25/7/2013. District Level Monitoring Committee for monitoring of activities under SSA, MDMS and RMSA was notified by the Govt. vide Govt. Notification AIE 440/2001/Pt/9 dtd.21/6/2013 and the same was forwarded to the Deputy Commissioner/ Principal Secretary & District Elementary Education Officers vide letter No.EPM.139/08/Pt/20 dtd.11/7/2013 8.Social audit Yet to be done 9.Any checking of cooked food samples by Reputed laboratory 10.Contingency plans for health in case of disaster situations like the one happened in Bihar Yet to be implemented The instruction has already been issued vide Govt. letter No.PMA/MDM-Cell/62/2011/36 dtd.25/7/2013 to the Deputy Commissioner & DNOs/ Principal Secretary & DNOs MDMS to instruct District Elementary Education Officer for collecting the Mobile Phone Number of responsible persons of District Health Office/ Deputy Commissioner Office/ Principal Secretary Office/ District Elementary Education Office, Inspector of Schools Office, Deputy Inspector of Schools, Block Elementary Education Office and the same may be provided to the Headmaster of the schools, so that the Headmaster of the schools may immediately inform the responsible person of the above organization for prompt Medical attention to be provided to the children in nearby Hospital or by deputing a doctor to the schools if there occurred any untoward accident in the schools. The Mobile Phone Numbers of the Headmaster are also required to be collected by the District Elementary Education Officer, Inspector of Schools Officer, Deputy Inspector of Schools, Block Elementary Education Officer for taking any necessary action. 4
11.Submission of proposals for non-recurring components viz kitchen sheds/kitchen devices Kitchen Devices 2012-13 Physical Progress of Kitchen Devices Sanctioned Procured 21870 62267 In progress 13293 Not Yet Procured 27104 The proposal is under Govt. consideration. The State has requested in PAB-2013-14 for replacement of Kitchen Devices in 17666 schools which were sanctioned in 2006-07 and already approved by the PAB- MDM during 2012-13 although the State has not yet submitted the proposal for the same. The State is eligible for replacement for 13277 units of kitchen devices which were sanctioned during 2007-08. Proposal awaited for 17666 KD sanctioned in 2012-13 PAB 2013-14: 13277 schools kitchen devices 6.63 crores. High court case due to tendering Kitchen shed: Saturated 12.Grievance redressal mechanisms a) Any toll free number or other number. b) Whether the same is painted on the walls of school. c) No. of complaints received and resolved. a) Office of the Director of Elementary Education, Assam s phone number 0361-2383832 has been displayed in Hoardings. b) Yet to be done c) Total complaints received are 9 (nine) out of 9 complains, 3 complain disposed of at State level and 6 complains are under enquiry stage at district level. 5
13.Revision of MDMS Guidelines The new Guidelines of MDMS notified by the State Govt. is given below: No. PMA/MDM-Cell/7/2012/12: For smooth functioning and proper implementation of Mid-Day Meal Scheme, the Governor of Assam is pleased to make the following rules/ guidelines for revamping of Mid-Day Meal Scheme in the State. 1. At the beginning of the Financial Year, the State Finance Department will release advance payment of both Central and State share to the Education Department, to be adjusted upon receipt of fund from Central Government and State Government against Central and State share respectively. The sanctioning power of the fund shall be delegated to the Administrative Department. 2. Education Department will in turn release fund for procurement of food-grains to the Deputy Commissioner immediately through Director, Elementary Education, Assam. The cooking cost and the honorarium for cook-cum-helper will be released to the SMC (School Managing Committee) directly (Through SSA). 3. At the school level, a ten-women Self Help Group (SHG) comprising of mother of the children of the school will be constituted. The Programme will be run through this Mothers group. SMC will place the food-grains, cooking cost and honorarium of cook-cum-helper at the disposal of the SHGs so that the teachers can be relieved of the day-to-day intricacies of running the Programme. An amount of Rs.10,000.00 (ten thousand) only per annum may be paid to the SHG from the State Plan as a token of appreciation of their services. 14. Action taken note on field visits/ Joint Review mission visiting the States/MI Observations Necessary instruction has already been issued to the Field Level Offices for taking necessary action on the observation of field visit / Joint Review Mission and rectification on the observations of Monitoring Institute. No ATN received. 15. The meeting of the Districts Vigilance Committee under the Chairmanship of the Senior Most M.P. is to be organized before 31st July as already requested by the Secretary (SE&L) during Video conferencing. Instruction has already issued vide letter No.EPM.47/2013/6 dtd.23/7/2013 to constitute the District Vigilance Committee under the Chairmanship of Senior most MP of the District 6