Leaving a bad taste

FOCUS Graphiti 6,540 5,835 2008/09 6,938 2009/10 9,128 Figures in {crore *Budgeted expenditure 3 Small states outperform the big ones in terms of percentage of children enrolled under the scheme 2007/08 CHILDREN COVERAGE Government 2010/11 9,902 LOWEST HIGHEST spending on the MDMS has surged in the last few 2011/12 69%. 98% 97% years... 10,868 2012/13 54% 67% 100% 97% Uttar Pradesh Bihar Rajasthan Nagaland Haryana Himachal Pradesh Arunachal Pradesh 13,215* 2013/14 Some of the most developed states in India have a high number of poor performing districts in terms of coverage of children Despite large funds being released 5 to states for the scheme, several states have still not put in place LEAVING A BAD TASTE The mid-day meal scheme (MDMS) is one of the biggest such programmes in the world. But irregularities in its implementation have led to numerous controversies and tarnished basic infrastructure Poor Performing Total No. of Districts Districts KITCHEN-CUM-STORES its image, the latest being the shocking deaths of 23 children in Bihar, caused by the insecticide-contaminated food they were served. A close look reveals that while 16 32 Units Sanctioned between 2006 and 2012 Units Gujarat Constructed ALL INDIA 955,473 656,152 government expenditure on the scheme has surged, several states still do not have adequate infrastructure in place to run it. Surprisingly, some of India's most developed states fare poorly at implementation. Kerala Andhra 75,283 5,697 Pradesh Tamil Nadu 14 Jharkhand 39,001 12,546 15 2,450 802 Kerala Graphic by Santosh Research by Jyotindra Dubey 32 65,783 18, 347 Maharashtra 14 11,483 4,076 ... while the number of children covered has remained largely unchanged Haryana 33 Tamil Nadu 14,340 4,275 Children 119.4 22 Covered (in million) 2005/06 113.7 113.6 KITCHEN SHEDS 111.9 2007/08 2009/10 110.7 2008/09 Units Sanctioned between 2006 879,109 50,529 11,483 2,450 65,783 3,053 9,491 14,340 2010-12 106.8 106.8 and 2012 ALL INDIA Andhra Pradesh Haryana Kerala Maharashtra Manipur Meghalaya Tamil Nadu 2006/07 2012/13 Units 468,074 3,077 4,058 318 18,601 1,174 3,007 3,781 Constructed Source: MDMS- Quarterly Progress Report 2012-13; MHRD Annual Report 2011-12 Rajasthan Punjab