Lok Sabha Question No. 197 (STARRED), answered on 2024-08-05
Subject: PM POSHAN  in Andhra Pradesh
Ministry: EDUCATION
Asked by: Shri Krishna Prasad Tenneti

## GOVERNMENT OF INDIA MINISTRY OF EDUCATION DEPARTMENT OF SCHOOL EDUCATION AND LITERACY

## LOKSABHA STARRED QUESTION NO-*197 ANSWEREDON- 05/08/2024

## PM POSHAN in Andhra Pradesh

## * 197 Shri Krishna Prasad Tenneti:

Will the Minister of EDUCATION be pleased to state:

- (a) whether the Government has conducted any survey/study/review of the implementation of the Pradhan Mantri Poshan Shakti Nirman Yojana (PM-POSHAN) in Andhra Pradesh;
- (b) the details of the total number of schools that were found to be serving food below the quality standards as set by the Government in Andhra Pradesh during the last five years; and
- (c) the details of action taken against such errant schools, district-wise, especially in Bapatla Parliamentary Constituency?

## ANSWER MINISTER OF EDUCATION (SHRI DHARMENDRA PRADHAN)

- (a) to (c): A statement is laid on the table of the House.

## Statement referred to in reply to parts (a) to (c) of Lok Sabha Starred Question No. *197 for 05.08.2024 raised by Shri Krishna Prasad Tenneti, Hon'ble MP regarding PM POSHAN in Andhra Pradesh.

(a) to (c): Pradhan Mantri Poshan Shakti Nirman (PM POSHAN) Scheme is one of the foremost rights based Centrally Sponsored Schemes under which all children who attend Government and Government aided school in classes I to VIII including Balvatikas (PreSchool) are provided one hot cooked meal. Around 20,000 crore meals have been served to the students in Government and Government aided school across the country in the last 10 years. Budget Estimates of PM POSHAN Scheme is Rs. 12467.39 crore for the FY 2024-25. The Government of India has issued guidelines on quality, safety and hygiene to ensure serving of good quality meal. These guidelines, inter-alia, provides for instructions to schools to procure Agmark quality and branded items for preparation of meals, tasting of meals by 23 members of School Management Committee including at least one teacher before serving to children. As per the Scheme Guidelines, the States/UTs are to conduct Social Audit in all districts in at least 20 schools or 2% of the schools, whichever is higher for each district. Further, the Mid-Day Meal Rules, 2015 provide for mandatory testing of food samples by Government recognized laboratories to ensure that the meals meet nutritional standards and quality. The Food Corporation of India (FCI) is responsible for issue of food grains of best available quality, which will in any case be at least of Fair Average Quality (FAQ). The FCI appoints a Nodal Officer for each State to take care of various problems in supply of food grains under the PM POSHAN Scheme. The District Collector / CEO of Zila Panchayat ensures that food grains of at least FAQ are lifted after joint inspection by a team consisting of FCI and the nominee of the Collector and/or Chief Executive Officer, District Panchayat, and confirmation by them that the grain conforms to at least FAQ norms. The overall responsibility for smooth functioning of the scheme including providing hot cooked and nutritious meal to the eligible children lies with the State Governments and Union Territory Administrations. The State Government of Andhra Pradesh has reported that District Collectors conduct review meetings of District Level officers. Regular random inspections are carried out at school level by field level officers i.e. District Education Officer /Deputy Educational Officer /Mandal Education Officers to ensure the effective implementation of the Scheme.

The State of Andhra Pradesh has informed that through Social Audits/Inspections they found 70 schools providing food below quality standards. The district wise details are annexed.

The State of Andhra Pradesh has informed that the following action was taken:

-  Issued show cause notice to the concerned Head Masters.
-  Specific Standard Operating Procedure was provided to all stake holders for standardizing the cooking methodology in all schools resulting common menu in entire State.
-  Conducted training programmes to all Cook-cum-Helpers on capacity building.
-  Four Tier - Monitoring Mechanism was adopted from the year 2021-22 and regular inspections are being conducted through Head Masters, Parent Committees, Education-Welfare Assistants and Village organizers on implementation of the scheme.
-  In addition to 4-tier monitoring mechanism, Real Time Monitoring Mechanism was being done through specifically developed mobile APP-IMMS APP and Dashboard.
-  All inspections reports including daily menu, attendance etc. are captured on daily basis in IMMS App through which quality checking are made through AI which is linked to Consistent Rhythms (CR) APP. Through CR APP tickets are raised to HMs and quality of scheme is monitored for further improvisation.
-  District Educational Officer/Assistant Director/Dy. Educational Officer/Mandal Educational Officers also inspect the schools randomly.

In the Bapatla Parliamentary Constituency, during 2023-24, on the day of Social Audit it was found that the food (lemon rice) was below the quality standards in the School namely, Zilla Parishad High School, Pavulur, Inkollu Mandal, Bapatla. The State has informed that appropriate instructions has been issued to District Education Officer, Bapatla for taking necessary action against the concerned and also to follow Standard Operating Procedure (SoP).

*****

Annexure

Annexure referred to in reply to parts (a) to (c) of the reply of Lok Sabha Starred Question No. *197 for 05.08.2024 raised by Shri Krishna Prasad Tenneti, Hon'ble MP regarding PM POSHAN in Andhra Pradesh.

| Sl.No.   | Name of the District   | Total number of schools that were found to be serving food below the quality standards   | Total number of schools that were found to be serving food below the quality standards   | Total number of schools that were found to be serving food below the quality standards   | Total number of schools that were found to be serving food below the quality standards   | Total number of schools that were found to be serving food below the quality standards   | Total number of schools that were found to be serving food below the quality standards   |
|----------|------------------------|------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------|------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------|------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------|------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------|------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------|------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------|
| Sl.No.   | Name of the District   | 2019-20                                                                                  | 2020-21                                                                                  | 2021-22                                                                                  | 2022-23                                                                                  | 2023-24                                                                                  | Total                                                                                    |
| 1        | SRIKAKULAM             | 0                                                                                        | 0                                                                                        | 0                                                                                        | 17                                                                                       | 2                                                                                        | 19                                                                                       |
| 2        | MANYAM                 | 0                                                                                        | 0                                                                                        | 0                                                                                        | 1                                                                                        | 0                                                                                        | 1                                                                                        |
| 3        | VIZIANAGARAM           | 0                                                                                        | 0                                                                                        | 0                                                                                        | 0                                                                                        | 2                                                                                        | 2                                                                                        |
| 4        | ASR                    | 0                                                                                        | 0                                                                                        | 0                                                                                        | 0                                                                                        | 2                                                                                        | 2                                                                                        |
| 5        | ANAKAPALLI             | 0                                                                                        | 0                                                                                        | 0                                                                                        | 1                                                                                        | 1                                                                                        | 2                                                                                        |
| 6        | KONASEEMA              | 0                                                                                        | 0                                                                                        | 0                                                                                        | 0                                                                                        | 1                                                                                        | 1                                                                                        |
| 7        | ELURU                  | 0                                                                                        | 0                                                                                        | 0                                                                                        | 0                                                                                        | 1                                                                                        | 1                                                                                        |
| 8        | KRISHNA                | 0                                                                                        | 0                                                                                        | 0                                                                                        | 3                                                                                        | 1                                                                                        | 4                                                                                        |
| 9        | GUNTUR                 | 0                                                                                        | 0                                                                                        | 1                                                                                        | 10                                                                                       | 0                                                                                        | 11                                                                                       |
| 10       | PALNADU                | 0                                                                                        | 0                                                                                        | 0                                                                                        | 0                                                                                        | 3                                                                                        | 3                                                                                        |
| 11       | BAPATLA                | 0                                                                                        | 0                                                                                        | 0                                                                                        | 0                                                                                        | 1                                                                                        | 1                                                                                        |
| 12       | PRAKASAM               | 0                                                                                        | 0                                                                                        | 0                                                                                        | 1                                                                                        | 0                                                                                        | 1                                                                                        |
| 13       | SPSR NELLORE           | 0                                                                                        | 0                                                                                        | 0                                                                                        | 1                                                                                        | 0                                                                                        | 1                                                                                        |
| 14       | TIRUPATI               | 0                                                                                        | 0                                                                                        | 0                                                                                        | 0                                                                                        | 1                                                                                        | 1                                                                                        |
| 15       | ANNAMAYYA              | 0                                                                                        | 0                                                                                        | 0                                                                                        | 0                                                                                        | 3                                                                                        | 3                                                                                        |
| 16       | YSR KADAPA             | 0                                                                                        | 0                                                                                        | 0                                                                                        | 7                                                                                        | 1                                                                                        | 8                                                                                        |
| 17       | SRI SATYASAI           | 0                                                                                        | 0                                                                                        | 0                                                                                        | 0                                                                                        | 1                                                                                        | 1                                                                                        |
| 18       | ANANTHAPURAM           | 0                                                                                        | 0                                                                                        | 0                                                                                        | 2                                                                                        | 1                                                                                        | 3                                                                                        |
| 19       | KURNOOL                | 0                                                                                        | 0                                                                                        | 0                                                                                        | 1                                                                                        | 3                                                                                        | 4                                                                                        |
| 20       | NANDYAL                | 0                                                                                        | 0                                                                                        | 0                                                                                        | 0                                                                                        | 1                                                                                        | 1                                                                                        |
| Total    | Total                  | 0                                                                                        | 0                                                                                        | 1                                                                                        | 44                                                                                       | 25                                                                                       | 70                                                                                       |