IRREGULAR RELEASE OF MIDDAY-MEAL FUNDS Say it’s a recurring problem, department must find a way to ensure timely release of funds Ludhiana, September 13 Much to the frustration of schoolteachers in government schools, funds for midday meals are not being received in the state and it has been a couple of months now. As a result, teachers in many schools have to bear the expenses of the meals from their own pocket. While government senior secondary schools and high schools are still managing to pay funds from other funds such as PTA fund, government primary schools and middle schools are finding it hard to manage the money. Government primary schoolteachers lament the delay in the release of funds. “Senior secondary schools still have some funds such as PTA and they manage as they have fee of students from Class IX onwards, they also take loans from those funds to keep the midday-meal scheme running. But primary and middle schools are totally dependent on the government grant to keep the scheme running. As a result, they have to bear the expenses for the scheme from their own pockets, which makes it very difficult to run the scheme,” a government primary school head said. “There are only three teachers in our school, but we have to contribute from our own pocket to manage and keep the midday meals running, which becomes difficult,” said Gurpreet, a government schoolteacher. Teachers said this is a recurring problem and the department must find a way to ensure timely release of funds. “As the funds have to be released by the department anyway, why should these be delayed? Why put pressure on teachers when it is known that there is no other way to pay in primary schools and teachers have to pay it?” said another government schoolteacher not wanting to be named. Sukhdhir Singh Sekhon, President, Elementary Teachers’ Union (Sekhon), said the department must ensure that the funds for midday meals are released on time so that teachers don’t have to bear the expenses on their own. When asked, Deputy DEO Dimple Madaan, admitted that the funds have not been released and assured that the funds would be released soon.

Stay updated with all the Latest Ludhiana headlines here. For more exclusive & live news updates from all around India, stay connected with NYOOOZ.