Schoolteachers’ organisations have again protested against headteachers having to bear the financial burden of the midday meal scheme.
They argue that it is not practical to provide food to students as per the revised uniform menu for ₹6.78 allowed to lower primary schools as material cost. Funds for schools should be enhanced if the revised menu is to be implemented. Else, the midday meal should be removed from headteachers’ responsibilities and handed over to any agency that can run the scheme profitably at the current allocation.
The Kerala Pradesh School Teachers’ Association (KPSTA), in a statement, said the government allowed ₹52 for a litre of milk though it cost ₹54 to ₹ 58. Similarly 1 kg of coconut oil cost ₹460. Vegetables too were expensive. How could a school provide payasam, ragi kozhukatta, and elayada for the allotted material cost, it asked.
The expert committee that had found that the midday meal menu lacked nutrients and suggested a revised menu should have recommended an increase in the allocation for the scheme too. Fund collection as done by some schools implementing the scheme could not be done in all institutions, the KPSTA argued.
Price inflation
The Kerala Government Primary School Headmasters’ Association said that though the department wanted schools to implement the new midday meal menu from August 1, it should have revised the material cost according to the price inflation prepared by the Economics and Statistics wing.
It was also not practical to provide kozhukatta, elayada, and payasam along with rice as part of the midday meal, the association said.
Published – July 24, 2025 08:44 pm IST
