Teachers forced to foot mid-day meal scheme bills

Teachers in Patiala district have been burdened with the twin responsibilities of not only imparting education to their pupil but also keep their stomachs full.

Teachers in Patiala district have been burdened with twin responsibilities of not only imparting education to their pupil but also keep their stomachs full.

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Teachers across the district have spent more than Rs 2 crore on mid-day meal scheme from August 2011 to January 2012 as the Punjab government has allegedly failed to provide funds for the scheme.

There are 1,016 primary and 375 secondary schools in the district.

"This is not the not the first instance where teachers are paying from their pockets as authorities have not provided funds on time. The authorities directed us to keep the scheme running on our own expenses in case of non-availability of funds," said a principal on condition of anonymity.

He remarked that the government should shut down such schemes, if it could not provide sufficient funds.

Sources in the education department said that the government had failed to provide cooking cost of Rs 2.89 and Rs 4.30 per student for primary and secondary schools, respectively.

Director General of School Education (Secondary) Ashok Singla maintained that all formalities have been completed to procure funds for the scheme.

"The file is with the finance department. Assurances have come, funds have not," he said.