Quality of Mid Day Meal Rice supplied by FCI
Food and Supplies, School Education, Mid Day Meal
Govt. of West Bengal
School Education Department
Bikash Bhavan, 6th floor, Salt Lake, Kolkata- 700091
Memo No. 297-ES(CMDMP)/GENL-07/2012(Part II), Dated: 18.06.2012
Order
Repeated complaints have been received by the State Govt. regarding the quality of Chattisgarh rice supplied by FCI for the Mid-Day-Meal (MDM) scheme. Many of the District Magistrates have reported serious reservation about supply of this variety and quality of rice to school children under the MDM scheme. This has also caused setback and disruption in running of the scheme in many districts.
2. It has therefore been decided that such Chattisgarh or any other poor quality of rice offered by FCI which are considered by the District Magistrates to be unacceptable for school children shall not be taken delivery of from FCI. The concerned District Magistrate should first instruct the local FCI authorities to offer alternative better quality of rice including common variety of Bengal rice for supply under MDM scheme.
3. Food Corporation of India, W.B. Region is reported to have procured more than 3 lakh MTs of local common boiled rice in West Bengal till March end, 2012, during the current KMS. So FCI is requested to ensure supply of rice for MDM Scheme from the stock of locally procured rice.
4. However, in the event of persistent failure by F.C.I to supply acceptable quality of non- Bengal rice/ Bengal rice, alternative arrangement for supply of rice to this flagship Scheme need be made. Accordingly, it is hereby ordered that in such a scenario, arrangement will be made to issue rice from locally procured Bengal rice procured by Food & Supplies Department, Govt. of West Bengal under D.C.P (Decentralised Procurement) Scheme. For the present, it has been decided that in the event of failure by F.C.I to supply acceptable quality of rice under MDM, the required rice will be supplied for the MDM Scheme from D.C.P stock in ten Districts – Jalpaiguri, Uttar Dinajpur, Dakshin Dinajpur, Murshidabad, Birbhum, Burdwan, Howrah, Bankura, Paschim Mednipiur and Kolkata. The District Magistrates and other Nodal Officers of the 10 Districts will be free to place requisition of rice for MDM Scheme with District Controller, Food & Supplies of the concerned district except Kolkata to get supply of internally procured Bengal rice of common boiled variety. In case of Kolkata, the requisition will have to be placed with District controller Food & Supplies, North 24 Parganas or Howrah. On receipt of such requisition, the concerned District Controller, Food & Supplies will issue delivery orders (D.O.) against the requisition from the nearest Food Deptt. godown for internally procured Bengal rice of common boiled variety. The price of such rice will be as per the existing price of MDM rice being charged by FCI i.e. Rs.565/-(five hundred sixty five) per quintal. The actual amount will be paid by the concerned District Magistrate to the District Controller, Food & Supplies in advance.
If advance payment is not possible, attempts must be taken to clear the payment for the stock of rice lifted as early as possible against the bill to be submitted by Food & Supplies Department. The transport rebate as already allowed under Memo No. 633-ES/PLNG/0/MDM-21/2010 dated 01-11-2011 issued by School Education Department will remain unchanged.
This order will take immediate effect.
Sd/- Samar Ghosh
Chief Secretary to the Govt. of West Bengal