Two days after the Kerala government accused the Centre of delaying its share of funds for the mid-day meal scheme, the Union Ministry of Education alleged that the state government had not complied with its obligations under the scheme.

The Centre said, quoting an email from September 8, that it allocated Rs 132.90 crore to Kerala to fulfil its obligations under the PM-POSHAN scheme. The Kerala government was expected to transfer this amount from its treasury to the State Nodal Account, and also provide its share of Rs 76.78 crore.

“However, Kerala has not completed this transfer, rendering itself ineligible for any further release,” the education ministry said.

In response, Kerala Minister for General Education V Sivankutty claimed that the Centre was raising unnecessary arguments to delay disbursing the due amount. He said that the Centre was making unjustified arguments even though the state government had submitted all the evidence on its implementation of the scheme, including financial records.

“The unprecedented crisis has severely affected the state’s capacity to implement the project,” Sivankutty wrote in a Facebook post. “Due to the delay in receiving the central allocation, we struggle to disburse the funds to schools and monthly honorarium to the cooks on time.”

Sivankutty said that the Centre only released the second instalment of its share to Kerala for 2021-’22 after constant pressure from the state government. He added that the Centre released the installment in the form of arrears on March 30 – a day before the financial year 2022-’23 was to end.

Teachers to protest on September 13

Several teachers’ associations in Kerala have said that they will hold agitations in connection with the mid day meal scheme next week, Onmanorama reported.

The Congress-affiliated Kerala Primary School Teachers’ Association will hold a three-day agitation in front of the state secretariat from September 13. On September 15, the Kerala School Teachers’ Association – which is affiliated to the Communist Party of India (Marxist) – will also hold a protest on the subject.

The teachers are demanding the payment of arrears that have been pending for about three months. They are also demanding that rates fixed for the scheme eight years ago be revised to reflect the increased cost of food ingredients.