Do social audit of mid-day meal scheme by November 30: Center to states, union territories

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Do social audit of mid-day meal scheme by November 30: Center to states, union territories

The Center has directed the states and union territories to conduct a social audit of the mid-day meal scheme in each district by November 30, with native authorities throughout the nation being delayed in finishing the work, which is remitted below the National Food Policy. . Security Act, 2013.

While a number of states have knowledgeable the Center that the train of social audit has begun of their jurisdiction, in lots of instances previously, the ultimate report was by no means submitted to the Department of School Education and Literacy, below the Ministry of Education.

For instance, the ministry informed the Meghalaya authorities in February this yr that it’s but to obtain the ultimate audit report for the yr 2019-20. In the case of Assam, the report for 2020-21 is awaited, which was conveyed to the state authorities in May.

Social audit of the scheme is necessary because it not solely helps in detecting irregularities, together with misappropriation or diversion of funds, but additionally helps the state and central authorities to get direct suggestions from native communities on the gram sabha stage. Is.

Earlier this yr, throughout the Centre’s assembly with states the place the annual funds and motion plan had been authorised, it emerged that in a minimum of 9 states and 4 union territories, the social audit for 2021-22 was not even began. Social audit of the scheme is necessary below the provisions of part 28 of the National Food Security Act, 2013.

“Even throughout the PAB-PM POSHAN conferences, States and UTs have been directed to conduct social audit in all colleges masking all districts for the yr 2021-22 and likewise to conduct social audit of the scheme in all districts yearly. Advice has been given. Therefore, you might be requested to provoke motion to conduct social audit of PM diet in all of the districts of your state/UT for the yr 2021-22 on precedence foundation and as per MoE pointers and make it necessary by thirtieth November 2022. End with a public listening to. The ministry knowledgeable the states and union territories on August 31.

The states which reported not conducting social audit in 2021-22 embody Arunachal Pradesh, Bihar, West Bengal, Uttarakhand, Telangana, Punjab, Odisha, Haryana, Chhattisgarh. In the union territories of Andaman and Nicobar Islands, Puducherry, Ladakh and Lakshadweep, social audit was by no means carried out, data present.

While many cited college closures on account of Covid-19 as the rationale for not doing so, in addition they needed to audit the distribution of dry kits, which changed scorching cooked meals throughout the extended closure of colleges . For instance, Rajasthan was one of many states to take action in line with the data of the Mid-day Meal Public Advisory Board (PAB) conferences.

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On the opposite hand, the rules weren’t adopted even in technically auditing states. For instance, Gujarat reported that it was solely auditing 60 colleges in three districts and never all as per the principles.

“The objective of social audit is to create awareness among the beneficiaries about the scheme, empower the public/beneficiaries to hold the government accountable, address the problems and identify bottlenecks at the grassroots level so as to make strategic decisions for effective implementation of the scheme.” strategy, and it additionally helps in popularizing and strengthening the scheme on the grassroots stage,” the Center mentioned in its August 31 letter to the states.


With inputs from TheIndianEXPRESS

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