The Centre notified the mid-day meals rules on Thursday, making running quality tests and sticking to nutritional standards mandatory. The State governments will be held accountable for non-delivery of service.
The exhaustive guidelines to be followed by the States come days after 80 children fell ill after being served milk in a school in Agra.
If a school fails to serve food to students for three consecutive school days or five days a month, the State government will have to pay a “food security allowance” as compensation.
“The National Food Security Act, 2013, contains provisions related to welfare schemes, including the mid-day meal scheme. In accordance with the provisions of the Act, the Union Human Resource Development Ministry has finalised the Rules after consultations with the States and other related Union Ministries and they would be in effect from the date of notification in the Gazette of India,” the Ministry said.
Having invited criticism from the Comptroller and Auditor-General for poor implementation of the Centrally sponsored scheme, the Ministry has now insisted on monthly random testing for quality at accredited laboratories.
The State governments have been asked to fix responsibility if meals are not provided regularly.
Under the rules, children in the six-14 age group, studying from classes I to VIII, will be provided hot cooked meal on all working days. It will be the mandate of the schools to provide hygienic facilities for cooking meals. School management committees will monitor the implementation of the meal scheme, oversee the quality of the food served and ensure cleanliness of the cooking place.
The heads of schools have been empowered to utilise any available fund for the continuation of the scheme. The amount will be reimbursed to the school account.
