Punjab Stands at No.17 across the country as far as allocation of funds under PM-POSHAN Scheme during the financial year 2022-23 are concerned. Central assistance of Rs.18712.92 lakh was released to Punjab under the scheme during 2022-23. Punjab not only stands at No.17 in India, but allocation of funds was less compared to previous two financial years - Rs.21769.15 lakh (2020-21) and Rs. 19146.03 lakh (2021-22).
A total fund worth Rs.1267499.36 lakh was allocated to all the states and UTs under the scheme during 2022-23. Thus, Punjab’s share is merely 1.48 per cent of the total funds allocated under the scheme in the country. This fact has come out of the answer given by Minister of Women and Child Development Smriti Zubin Irani in reply to a question about allocation and utilization of funds under the scheme asked by MP (Rajya Sabha) from Ludhiana Sanjeev Arora in the ongoing winter session of Rajya Sabha.
Arora had asked about the amount allocated, utilized, and released for PM-POSHAN scheme in the last three years and state-wise and UT-wise the details thereof. He had also asked about the percentage of amount increased for cost of cooking vs food inflation in the last three years; and the steps taken to bridge this gap.
The answer given by the Minister reveal that during 2022-23 Maharashtra was allocated funds worth Rs.159240.67 lakh, thus, this state stood at No.1 across the country followed by West Bengal (Rs.148947.05 lakh), Uttar Pradesh (Rs.133407.60 lakh), Rajasthan (Rs.89960.12 lakh), Assam (Rs.88721.40 lakh), Bihar (Rs.76399.12 lakh), Karnataka (Rs.69076.57 lakh), Odisha (Rs.56373.86 lakh), Gujarat (Rs.52293.03 lakh), Chhattisgarh (Rs.51008.15 lakh), Tamil Nadu (Rs.47700.10 lakh), Kerala (Rs.42543.83 lakh), Jharkhand (Rs.38424.29 lakh), Andhra Pradesh (Rs.36531.92 lakh), Madhya Pradesh (Rs.36285 lakh) and Delhi (Rs.21527.1 lakh).
In her reply, the Minister stated that under the PM POSHAN Scheme being implemented by Department of School Education and Literacy, the Central Government revised the cooking cost (now known as material cost) on the basis of the Consumer Price Index (CPI) by increasing 10.99% over and above the then existing cooking cost in March 2020.
The revised cooking cost per child per day for primary and upper primary classes were Rs.4.97 and Rs 7.45 as against the then existing rates of Rs.4.48 and Rs.6.71 respectively w.e.f. April 1, 2020. The Minister further mentioned in her reply that the Central Government revised the material cost by 9.6% over and above the existing material cost in 2022.
The revised material cost per day per child for Bal Vatika and Primary classes as well as Upper Primary classes are Rs.5.45 and Rs.8.17 as against the prior cost of Rs.4.97 and Rs.7.45 respectively w.e.f. October 1, 2022. The material cost, earlier known as cooking cost, includes the cost of food grains, the current cost per student for PM POSHAN Scheme is Rs.11.38 and Rs.16.25 respectively for primary and upper primary level.
Meanwhile, Arora said whatever may be the reasons, but the Centre should not have allocated less funds to Punjab compared to previous financial years. Rather, the government should increase the central assistance year after year in view of the rising cost of prices cooking and material etc. He asserted that Punjab needs more funds under the scheme.