The ‘National Programme of Nutritional Support to Primary Education’, a Centrally Sponsored Scheme, commonly known as ‘Mid-Day Meal’ (MDM) Scheme, was launched with the primary objective of boosting the universalisation of primary education by increasing enrolment, retention & attendance and simultaneously improving nutritional status of primary school children. Performance Audit of the scheme revealed that the Department covered all Government Primary/Upper Primary Schools (3116), Government-aided Primary/Upper Primary Schools (68) and EGS/AIE Centres (155) in the State under the scheme. However, there were deficiencies like inadequate financial management, short-lifting of food grains, delay in release of funds to schools for meeting cooking costs, inadequate infrastructural facilities in schools and lack of monitoring by the Department. Some major audit findings are highlighted below:

1. No household surveys were conducted to identify the total number of children not enrolled at the Primary stage. No attempt was also made to encourage high level of enrolment through publicity, etc.
2. In 2010-11, against GoI total allocation of 6,687.66 MT of food grains for Primary/Upper Primary level, the Department lifted only 5,928.37 MT and during 2013-14, against the allocation of 6,625.01 MT of food grains for Primary/Upper Primary levels, only 6,598.95 MT were lifted, leading to shortlifting of 785.35 MT of food grains.
3. There was a shortfall in provision of 47,360 meals due to short receipt of food grains in 137 schools.
4. In six schools of West Kameng and Lohit District, 46.61 quintals (23 per cent) of the allotted rice was issued as dry rations instead of cooked meals, violating directives of the Hon’ble Supreme Court of India.
5. In 150 test-checked schools, pucca kitchen sheds were not available in 130 (87 per cent) schools; drinking water facilities in 35 (23 per cent) schools; gasbased chullahs in 148 (99 per cent) schools; and cooking utensils in 9 (6 per cent) schools.
6. During the period 2009-14, there were persistent savings ranging from 1 per cent to 32 per cent.
7. From 2009 to 2014, there were delays ranging up to 21 months in release of Central assistance by the State Government to the Nodal Department.
8. The State Government did not contribute its share, aggregating to ₹ 12.93 crore (63.69 per cent), towards Conversion Costs, Honorarium to cooks-cum-helpers and MME costs.
9. There were deficiencies in meetings of the State, District and Block Level Monitoring Cells to monitor implementation of the scheme.
10. Findings of evaluation studies conducted by an Independent Agency to assess the impact of the scheme were not discussed by the State SMC to address the deficiencies pointed out in the Evaluation Reports.