Mizoram’s school teachers have raised alarms over a potential halt in mid-day meal services due to a prolonged lack of government funding. Two major associations, the Mizoram Primary School Teachers’ Association (MPSTA) and the Mizoram Middle School Teachers’ Association (MMSTA), have issued a joint statement indicating that they will stop providing mid-day meals from October 18 unless immediate financial support is provided.
In a letter addressed to the School Education Department, the teachers’ associations stated that they can no longer afford to pay cooks or cover meal preparation costs, as funds have not been disbursed for several months. They revealed that cooks, essential to the program, have been without pay for over four months.
Lalsangliana, Director of the School Education Department, acknowledged the concerns, noting that the delay is primarily due to the Centre’s failure to release the first installment of funds under the Pradhan Mantri Poshan Shakti Nirman (PM POSHAN) scheme for the current academic year. He also mentioned that efforts are underway to resolve the issue in collaboration with the teacher associations.
Despite earlier discussions with Education Minister Dr. Vanlalthlana on September 17, and subsequent meetings with the education department, the problem remains unresolved. The government had previously raised the honorarium for cooks from Rs 1,500 to Rs 3,000 per month starting from the 2024 academic session. However, payment has only been issued for the months of April and May, following threats from the teachers’ associations to suspend the program earlier in October.
With the deadline approaching, the MPSTA and MMSTA have urged the government to take swift action to ensure the continuation of the mid-day meal program, which is critical for many students across the state. The associations stressed that if the issue is not addressed by October 18, meal services will be halted indefinitely, leaving many children without their daily school meals.