Smriti urges MPs allocate MPLAD funds to schools

Human Resource Development (HRD) Minister Smriti Irani has urged the members of Parliament to spare funds from their local area development (MPLAD) funds to provide dining spaces for children in schools.

“I would like to request you to consider allocating some of your MPLAD funds for construction of dining spaces in school compounds so that children can eat the midday meal in these dining spaces,” the Minister wrote in her letter to all parliamentarians on July 16.

Her request to the MPs for construction of dining spaces for children comes following recommendations made in the latest Economic Survey, tabled in Parliament.

The survey highlighted the need to “facelift” midday meal scheme taking note of concerns about the safety of children owing to poor quality of food. It recommended building dining rooms in each school to cover food from rain and other exigencies.

A large number of schools across the country do not have proper dining space for children.  Some state governments like Tripura, Uttar Pradesh, Odisha, Madhya Pradesh and Maharashtra have taken initiatives to create such a facility in some schools.

“Triupra has the highest number of schools with dining spaces for children. Uttar Pradesh government has also taken some serious initiatives to create such facilities in some of schools,” sources said.

To introduce such facilities in all the schools, additional funds are required. Though Finance Minister Arun Jaitley marginally increased the budgetary allocations of the HRD Ministry in Union Budget for this fiscal, he maintained the allocations for the midday meal programme at the last year’s level of Rs 13,215 crore.

“In such a scenario, if MPs contribute from MPLAD scheme, it will be possible to provide dining space to children in almost all the districts,” sources said
Under the MPLAD scheme, each MP can suggest to the district collector works to the tune of Rs 5 crore per annum to be taken up in his or her constituency.

Rajya Sabha members can recommend works in one or more districts in the state from where they have been elected. The nominated members of the Lok Sabha and Rajya Sabha may select any district in any state for implementation of their choice of work under the scheme.

In her letter to the MPs, the HRD minister also highlighted the need to monitor the implementation of the scheme “at ground level” and urged the MPs of the 16th Lok Sabha to ensure that meeting of the district level monitoring committee is held regularly.