UP Govt Removes Village Heads From Mid-Day Meal Scheme

The Uttar Pradesh government has made a significant change to the management of the Mid-Day Meal scheme in state-run schools. The government has removed pradhans, or village heads, from the operation and financial management of the programme.

Instead, the scheme will now be jointly managed by the chairman of the School Management Committee (SMC) and the headmaster of the school. The SMC chairman is a parent of a student, and this change aims to give them a more active role in the management of the Mid-Day Meal scheme.

The decision has been met with strong opposition from organisations representing village heads. They argue that excluding them from the Mid-Day Meal scheme amounts to curtailing their powers. Lalit Sharma, state president of the National Panchayati Raj Gram Pradhan Organisation, said that elected village heads continue to function as administrators even after the expiry of the tenure of panchayats.

The organisation has demanded that the government withdraw the order and restore the earlier system. The village heads were previously responsible for jointly operating the Mid-Day Meal scheme and its bank account with the headmaster.

In a separate development, the state government's decision regarding postings in the Secondary Education Department has also sparked criticism. The department recently issued fresh postings for 326 Group B teachers and officers who were promoted. However, the appointment of Kailash Yadav as principal of the Government Girls Inter College in Dhanupur, Prayagraj, has been opposed by the Government Secondary Teachers' Association.

The association has urged the government not to appoint male cadre officers as principals of Government Girls Inter Colleges. They argue that such appointments should be avoided, and that officers posted in the Basic Education wing should be reassigned to fill vacant principal posts in government secondary schools.

The teachers' body has also alleged irregularities in the functioning of certain Government Girls Inter Colleges due to the absence of regular women principals. They claim that the institutions have been affected by the lack of female leadership.

The UP government's decisions have triggered a fresh row in the state's education sector. The changes to the Mid-Day Meal scheme and the postings in the Secondary Education Department have been met with opposition from various stakeholders.

The government's move to remove village heads from the Mid-Day Meal scheme is seen as an attempt to streamline the management of the programme. However, the opposition from village heads and teachers' associations suggests that the decision may have unintended consequences.

The UP government will need to address the concerns of the various stakeholders and find a solution that works for all parties involved. The management of the Mid-Day Meal scheme and the postings in the Secondary Education Department are critical issues that affect the education and well-being of thousands of students in the state.

In conclusion, the UP government's decisions have significant implications for the state's education sector. The changes to the Mid-Day Meal scheme and the postings in the Secondary Education Department will need to be carefully implemented to ensure that they do not disrupt the functioning of schools and the education of students.