Vijayawada: The Ministry of Education has allocated Rs. 326 crores to Andhra Pradesh for the PM Poshan Mid Day Meal scheme for the 2023-24 school year. Education Minister Jayant Chaudhary disclosed this information in response to inquiries from MPs Kalisetti Appalanaidu, Kesineni Sivanath, Dr. Byreddy Shabari, and G Lakshminarayana in the Lok Sabha.
Under the scheme, the central government contributes 60% of the funds, while the state government provides the remaining 40%. Despite the financial support, the number of schools benefiting from the scheme has decreased from 45,545 in 2020-21 to 44,150 in 2023-24. Additionally, central funding has been reduced from Rs. 326.64 crores in 2020-21 to Rs. 251.22 crores in 2023-24, with Rs. 69.92 crores left unspent in 2022-23. Women Self Help Groups play a crucial role in implementing the PM Poshan scheme, according to the Ministry’s report.
