Kundapura: The government’s initiative to provide eggs to school children as part of the mid-day meal scheme to combat malnutrition has inadvertently created a financial strain for teachers. The mismatch between the government’s allocated amount and the actual market price is the main reason behind this issue.

Earlier, students from Classes 1 to 8 received eggs once a week with their mid-day meal. For those who did not consume eggs, alternatives like bananas or peanut chikkis were provided. This scheme covered 46 days in a year. However, since 2023-24, the program has been extended to Class 10 and now covers 80 days annually.

Central and State Government Contributions

In districts under the Kalyana Karnataka region, including Bidar, Raichur, Kalaburagi, Yadgir, Koppal, Ballari, and Vijayanagar, funding for 56 days comes from the central government’s scheme, while the remaining 26 days are funded by the state government. In other districts, the state funds the entire 80-day program.

In the Kalyana Karnataka region, Rs 74.74 crore has been allocated for 15,57,126 students in Classes 1 to 8. For the remaining 23 districts, Rs 147.52 crore has been allocated for 30,73,430 students. The state government bears the cost for Class 9 and 10 students, allocating Rs 57.5 crore for 11,98,008 students across 31 districts.

Azim Premji Foundation Partnership

The Azim Premji Foundation has joined hands with the government to extend egg distribution to six days a week. The foundation has provided financial assistance of Rs 1,500 crore to supply eggs to 55 lakh students in 53,080 government and aided schools. Since September 25, children have received eggs six days a week under this initiative.

Cost Allocation

The government has fixed the procurement cost of one egg at Rs 5. Additional expenses include 50 paise for cooking fuel, 30 paise for peeling the egg (paid to kitchen staff), and 20 paise for transportation, totaling Rs 6 per egg. For bananas, the cost is Rs 5.80 plus 20 paise for transportation, while for peanut chikkis, the cost is Rs 5.50 plus 30 paise for fuel and 20 paise for transportation.

Teachers’ Plight

In several districts, eggs are available at Rs 5–6. However, in regions like the coastal areas, the price rarely falls below Rs 6 and sometimes exceeds Rs 7. The government has not allocated funds to cover this price gap, leaving headteachers in charge of mid-day meal programs to bear the additional cost. For schools with over 800 students, this difference can amount to Rs 38,400 per month.

Additional Concerns

Some students face health issues after consuming eggs six days a week. However, distribution cannot be avoided. Managing records becomes challenging when some students opt for alternatives like chikkis but later demand eggs when others are served. In schools with 800 students, peeling eggs delays meals by an hour. In rural areas, vehicles selling eggs often do not deliver to schools, and local procurement proves costly. Teachers are sometimes forced to pay from their pockets despite low student numbers.

Department’s Response

The variation in egg prices across districts has been noted. However, no formal request for additional funds has been received so far.

“If we receive requests from districts where the allocated amount is insufficient, we will promptly seek additional funds from the government. To ensure the success of this well-intentioned scheme, the government is prepared to cover the price differences,” said Pushpalatha H.K., Joint Director, PM POSHAN Division, Education Department, Bengaluru.

Translated version of Kannada article by Laxmi Machina