A parliamentary committee termed as “unacceptable” the trend of “gross under-utilisation” of funds to run PM-Poshan and Samagra Shiksha schemes, which are the “backbone of education” in the country.
Chaired by the Parliamentary Standing Committee on Education, Women, Children, Youth and Sports related to the Department BJP Rajya Sabha MP Vinay P Sahasrabuddhe has directed the Center to identify the factors behind under-utilisation.
The report said that as of January 31, 2022, out of the total allocation of Rs 40,576 crore, only Rs 23,572 crore was spent under centrally sponsored schemes under the Department of School Education and Literacy.
Samagra Shiksha and PM-Poshan, earlier known as mid-day meal, account for 99.15 per cent of the total allocation under the schemes in this regard.
PM Potion: As per the committee’s report, till January 31, 2022, 57.91 per cent of the Rs 11,500 crore earmarked by the Center was spent for the mid-day meal program as its share in the 2021-22 budget. It also pointed out that not much land would be covered in the remaining two months of February and March.
The PM-POSHAN scheme, under which cooked meals are provided to students in schools, officially covers 118 crore children up to class VIII.
As schools remained closed due to the pandemic, students were provided food grains under the scheme instead of food and food security allowance in the form of direct benefit transfers. In 2020-21, the Centre’s share under the scheme was 99.87 per cent utilised, even though advertising and promotional activities could not be carried out due to the pandemic.
“The committee has recommended that there is an urgent need to formulate effective strategies for utilization of funds,” it said.
Under PM Potion, the Center bears the cost of food grains and their transportation, while the funds for payment to cooks and workers are divided by the Center in the ratio of 60:40 with the states and legislatures with the union territories.
Samagra Shiksha: The committee said 44 per cent of the Rs 31,050 crore allocated by the Center under the scheme was spent till January 31, 2022, despite it being “one of the most prominent and flagship schemes of the department”. The scheme, which covers all the major policies and programs of school education, is funded by the Center and the states in the ratio of 60:40.