No storerooms, no kitchens for MDM

PHULBANI: Although the State Government has been sanctioning funds for construction of storerooms and kitchens in schools across the district since 2006 for successful implementation of the mid-day meals, only a few such structures have come up till now.Sources said the cost of construction of a kitchen and a storeroom in each school would come to around Rs 60,000.In 2006-07, the State Government had sanctioned funds for construction of kitchens and storerooms in 156 primary schools, 529 schools in 2007-08, 211 in 2008-09 and 249 schools in 2009-10. For the last educational year, the number was 651.Altogether Rs 14 crore was sanctioned in the last six years to set up kitchens and storerooms in 2,287 schools. However, till date work has been completed in just 257 schools at the cost of Rs 1.5 crore.The situation is worse in Daringbadi, Phiringia and Kotagarh blocks. For Daringbadi block, the number of schools identified were 292. It is 262 for Phiringia and 160 for Kotagarh, but not a single kitchen or storeroom has come up in any of the schools in the three blocks.Sources added that of the 257 schools under 12 blocks which have got the kitchens and storerooms, certificate of utilisation of funds have been submitted by only Phulbani block. No utilisation certificate was received from other 11 blocks. “Due to non-submission of utilisation certificate by the block authorities, no clear picture is available on the total constructions. However, it is learnt that over Rs 12 crore is lying unutilised,” a source in the district social welfare office said.