Implementation of MDM and ICDS in Sambalpur - A Fact-finding

Fact-finding Report on “Implementation of MDM and ICDS programme”  in  Jamankira Block of Sambalpur district.

Mid-Day-Meal  and Integrated Child Development  Service  are the two most important  food security  programme  to provide nutritious  food to the children free of cost. While  the ICDS programme is being  implemented  through  Anganwadi Centre,  MDM is provided  to the children  in Govt. and Govt.-aided  primary schools.  Both these programme have suffered  a lot due to mismanagement, irregularities , lack of proper  monitoring  and  robust grievance redressal  mechanism.  The helpers   are also seen not trained to  cook  and prepare food for the children.

As part of  Citizen Monitoring exercise,  3- member  Team of Right to Food Campaign, Odisha  had  visited  to Jamankira Block  to monitor the implementation of  above-mentioned these programme on 5^th  and 6^th  Nov.15.   The Team members were Sri Pradip Pradhan, Sri Manohar Chouhan and Sri Chaitanya.  The Team members visited number of the schools and Anganawadi centres to understand the management of the programme, quality of food served, allotment of fund   and infrastructure available in the schools and the Anganwadi centre etc.  and interacted  with the teachers, children and Panchayat representatives  and villagers, SMC members  seeking their  views  and experience  about  management  of MDM  and AWC  in their respective  villages. The Details of the Schools and the Anganwadi Centres visited by the Team is as follows.

Mid-day-Meal
Sl.	Name of GP	Name of village	Name of School	Remarks
1	Mundenpali	Mundenpali	Mundenpali Project Upper Primary School
2		Sapalat	Sapalat Up-graded Primary School
3		Sankundesara	Sankundesara  Primary School
4		Rengalpali	Rengalpali Primary School
5		Karlapat	Kalapat Primary School
6		Phulkusum	Phulkusum Primary School
7	Katangpani	Katangpani	Katangpani Ashram School
8		San Bhaluchuan	San Bhaluchuan Primary School
9		Sarei	Sarei Project Upper Primary School
10		Badagachhar	Badagachhar Primary School
Integrated  Child Development Scheme
1		Ghusurguda	Ghusuruguda  Anganwadi Centre
2		Sardabahal	Sardabahal Anganwadi entre
3		Sankundesara	Sankundesara Anganwadi Centre

  

Mundenpali Project Upper Primary School

The School is having 206 students. In this year, total number of 10 children has taken admission in Class-1 of the school.  The trend of decrease in the enrolment of the students in  the school in every year in class-1  is as follows.

Class-1	10
Class-2	22
Class-3	33
Class-4	11
Class-5	31
Class-6	48
Class-7	51

On query  about  decrease  in admission  in the school, the Head Master clarified  that as the Private schools like  Sishu Mandir  and Aurobindo  Schools are opened,  the parents are preferring these schools to get their children admitted.  But the fact is that as the quality of education is deteriorating in the Govt. schools,  the parents are  found reluctant  to  enrol their children  in the Govt. schools. Prasant Panda, school teacher said that  they  were not aware about  allotment of  quantity of rice earmarked  to the School per month. The supply of the rice is regulated in view of the requirement of the school and supply of the Transport Agent. The release of fund for MDM is also not regular to the school. Many times, the teachers are forced to manage MDM by borrowing money and materials from the local shop.  On query about remuneration received, Smt. Hira Kishan, Cook-um-Helper told the Team that she had not received it since last 4 months.

Sapalat UGUP School

This school has strength of 125  children. But there is very irregular in attendance of the Children. During the visit, it  was observed that very small number of the children are coming to the school.  The present of the children in the class on the day of the visit of the Team is as follows.

Class-1	15
Class-2	8
Class-3	9
Class-4	17
Class-5	28

 It was also found that management of MDM is good to some extend.  Girija Prasad Patra , Head Master of the School said that  there was irregular release of fund to the school. There is no kitchen centre in the school.

3. Sanakundesara Primary School

Total no. of 13 children   are enrolled  in the school. Sachidanand Patel, Head Master and Sribaschha Pradhan, Gana Sikhyak were working in the school. It was  observed that  last year only one children had taken admission and in this year only 3 children admitted in the school. On query about small number of the children being admitted  in the school,  they said  that the  parents are not bringing their children to the school.  But the Team observed  through interaction with the  villagers that as  the children are not provided education properly and the teachers neglecting them,  they prefer to send their children to Private Schools.   MDM is managed properly.  The teachers were seen very lazy and lethargic.

4. Rengalpali Primary School

 The Team met  Sri Bishnu Ch. Das, Head Master of the School. There is no proper class room for the children in the school. A new building sanctioned in 2010 is still found incomplete today. Due to negligence of the authority and misappropriation of fund by former Head Master, the building  has not been completed. Similarly, a kitchen shed is still under construction  for three years. Out of 19 children enrolled in the school, only 12 children had attended the school on the day of the visit of the Team.  Though there is small number of the children in the school, but 4 no. of  big latrines sponsored by MCL and Indian Oil Company  have been constructed. MDM is managed properly. The building of Kitchen shed  was found incomplete.

5. Karlapat Primary School

Karlapat Primary school under Katangpani Gram Panchayat  has very low attendance of the children in every class. The details of the attendance of the school are as follows.

Class-I	4
Class-II	2
Class-III	5
Class-IV	5
Class-V	4

It was observed that  MDM is not managed properly. The fund is being released  in every 3 to 4 months. The low attendance in the school is caused due to absence of the teacher and lack of proper education in the school.

6. Phulkusum Primary School

The   total attendance of the school is 36 out of which only 29 children   had attended the school  on the day of the visit of the Team.  The school has low attendance because the parents do not prefer to send their children to the school. There are two teachers Binod Bihari Arka, Head Master  and Surama Patel, SS teacher  appointed  in the school.  Women SHG have been given responsibility to manage the school. The Team could not meet members of women SHGs for feedback about  the management of MDM. But the Head Master expressed satisfaction over the management of MDM by Women Group.

7. Sana Bhaluchuan Primary School

This school has the record of decreasing trend in terms of enrolment which was presented by  Sabita Nayak, SS Teacher found present in the school. The said information is as follows.

Class	Students’ strength
Class-I	2
Class-II	4
Class-III	4
Class-IV	7
Class-V	2
Total	19

  On the day of the visit,  only 16 children  were present in the school with absence of the Head Master. During discussion, it was found that   fund for MDM has not been released since 5 months. The HM is managing MDM by borrowing materials from the local shop.

8. Sarei Project Upper Primary School

At first the Team interacted  with  Sudarshan Biswal  and  wanted to know the reason  about low attendance  in the school. He appraised the Team that  many parents are preferring to send their children  to Ashram School  and Aurobido school.  The details of  decrease  in  admission in Class-1  is as follows.

Class	Students’ strength
Class-I	4
Class-II	3
Class-III	5
Class-IV	4
Class-V	9
Class-VI	10
Class-VII	11
Class-VIII	9

MDM is managed  by Ma Tarini Woman SHG in the school. At the time of the visit of the team, the members of woman SHG were found busy  along with cook and Helper  for preparation of food. The meal was  Rice and Dalma and found very tasty. While verifying the Attendance Register, it was found that  the Register has been manipulated to increase  in attendance in order to misappropriate MDM fund. Fund is sanctioned once in three months interval.

9. Badagachhar Primary School

The Team met Gopal Krustan Kishan, Head Master  and Reena Bag, SS Teacher  and wanted to know  about the  management of MDM. It was found very low attendance in the school. The details is as follows.

Class	Students’ strength
Class-I	3
Class-II	4
Class-III	7
Class-IV	7
Class-V	3

  The School is experiencing same problem as  the other schools . Fund for MDM is released  once in 3 months. Women SHG is taking a lot of hardship to manage the same.  They borrow the materials  and manage MDM.

A.     Ghusuruguda Anganwadi Centre

The Team visited   Ghusuruguda Anganwadi Centre and found Dhanamati Kishan, Anganwadi Worker working there. It was found that  6 out of 17  children had come to the centre. The Aganwadi Worker had not received  her salary  and fund for food since three months. The Team observed the condition of the Centre  very precarious.   

B.       Sardabahal Aganwadi Centre

The Team met Barijin Choudhury, Anganwadi Worker  and discussed  with her  about the condition of the Centre. Out of 23, only 11 children were present in the centre and food was being served to them. It was found that there is no building infrastructure of the centre. It is running in a school verandah some times in verandah of the house of the Anganwadi Worker. No Morning snacks   are provided to the children. No pre-school is running. The activity of the Anganwadi Worker is confined to only providing food to the children.

Analysis  and Recommendation.

1. All the Schools are having low attendance and the admission is decreasing in every year.  The Team  is  under impression  that  as the quality of education is imparted, the parents are preferring  to send their children to Private School. Similarly, the academically conscious Tribal parents send their children to Ashram Schools managed by SC and ST Dept. The Govt. Primary Schools are passing through  phase of crisis which requires serious intervention of the Govt. to restore the credibility of the Govt.  school education.  So the Team feels to recommend  that  the State Govt. should make  Third Party study  about details of reason   about  deceasing trend in admission  and take all the measures to restore the credibility of the school system  and enjoy the confidence of the parents.

2. Fund for MDM is not released regularly. It is common problem in all schools.  Due to  financial problem, the women SHGs  face a lot of problem  and  could not manage MDM effectively.  So it is recommended  that Fund should be released in advance in all Schools.

3. The District administration should take steps  to  monitor utilisation of fund for kitchen shed and finish the construction work at the earliest.

Report prepared by

Pradip Pradhan

M-9937843482