Assam: PM-POSHAN relaxes rule for purchase of kitchen utensils

Staff Reporter

GUWAHATI: The government has taken a flexible approach in spending the Rs 14 crore released earlier to 40,154 schools for the purchase of kitchen utensils. In his letter to the assistant district nodal officers of PM-POSHAN, State Nodal Officer PM-POSHAN said that the schools that already have cast iron cauldrons (kerahis) may purchase the best quality steel pressure cookers in place of or along with cast iron cauldrons.

Earlier this month, the Assam government released Rs 14,10,73,925 (14.1 crore) for the procurement of cast-iron cauldrons (kerahi) with stainless steel lids for the preparation of midday meals in schools. The fund was released under the Annual Work Plan and Budget (AWP&B) of Pradhan Mantri Poshan Shakti Nirman (PM POSHAN) for the financial year 2023-24.

The mission director of Samagra Shiksha, Assam (SSA), and a state nodal officer of PM POSHAN informed the SSA District Mission Coordinators and assistant district nodal officers of PM POSHAN of all districts about the release of the fund. The district officers would release the funds to the schools for the procurement of cast-iron cauldrons (kerahi).

The state nodal officer of PM POSHAN also instructed district officers to follow certain terms and conditions while releasing the funds to schools. According to the terms and conditions, based on total enrollment of students studying in ka-shreni (class 'ka') to class VIII, schools were categorised in four sets of A, B, C and D for procurement of kitchen devices for preparing mid-day meals at schools.

From the total of 40,154 schools, the numbers of schools that fall under Set A category are 16,209; Set B category includes 17,149 schools; Set C includes 4346 schools; and 2,450 schools fall under Set D category.

The amount fixed for each of the Set A category schools is Rs 2,035, Rs 4,090 for each school under the Set B category, Rs 5,150 for each school in Set C, and Rs 6,354 for each school under the Set D category schools.

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