Venture schools asked to submit closing balance of mid-day meal

STAFF REPORTER

GUWAHATI: Following an instruction of the Mission Director-cum-State Nodal Officer, PM-POSHAN, Assam, the ADCs (Education) have directed all the Block Elementary Education Officers (BEEOs)-cum-Block Mission Coordinators and Block Nodal Officer, PM Poshan, to ensure that the ventures submit their school-wise closing balance of cooking cost and food grains (rice) allocated under PM-POSHAN as of March 31, 2023.

Venture schools were removed from PM-POSHAN with effect from April 2023, and accordingly, rice allocation to these schools was stopped in April 2003.

Earlier, the State Government had issued an order to remove the venture schools from the category of recognized or government-aided schools in UDISE (United District Information System for Education). In an order, Mission Director Samagra Shiksha and State Nodal Officer Dr Om Prakash had directed all districts to remove the venture schools from the eligible list of PM POSHAN (mid-day meal) and stop allotment of rice to these schools from April. The order said, “As per PM-POSHAN (Pradhan Mantri Poshan Shakti Nirman) guidelines, children studying in classes Bal Vatika to Class VIII in government, government-aided, and NCLP (National Child Labour Project) schools only are covered under PM-POSHAN.”

According to information given by the State Education Department during the recent Budget Session, the State has 7,670 venture schools: 4,560 lower primary schools and 3,110 upper primary schools. As many as 10,453 teachers have been working in the lower primary venture schools and 19,054 in the upper primary venture schools. The order will remove 7,670 venture schools from the eligible list of PM POSHAN.

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