PMC nursery students to go without mid-day meals

PUNE: Over 12,000 nursery students of schools run by Pune Municipal Corporation will have to go without their mid-day meals as the civic urban community department has expressed its inability to fund the scheme. The PMC has been spending Rs 10 lakh every month to provide the meals.
The mid-day meal scheme was initiated by the state government for students from std I to VIII.The civic body proposed to extend the scheme to students studying in nurseries too. The same was approved by the standing committee in 2008.
The PMC runs nearly 300 nurseries in which more than 12,000 students from weaker sections of society are enrolled.
Sangeeta Tiwari, chairperson of the municipal school board, said, "We have received a letter from the urban community department which states that providing the meals to nursery students will not possible due to lack of funds. The letter further states that the department will not be able to make provision for the meals when the nurseries reopen after Diwali vacations." The issue needs to be solved urgently as the schools will be reopening in a couple of days, she added.
"It is tough for us to raise funds in the middle of the year, if the scheme is stopped suddenly. A provision for the scheme can be made only in the next budget. If a solution is not found immediately, the students will be deprived of their meals," Tiwari said.
The mid-day meals are served to 31,000 students in schools run by the civic body. More than160 women from self help groups are involved in the scheme.
When contacted, deputy commissioner Dnyaneshwar Molak, who is in charge of the urban community department, said, "We have asked the school board to make financial arrangements to provide meals for students in nurseries. A decision will be taken after receiving a reply from the board." We will find some solution, he added.