Even after constituting two sets of committees to look into the expansion of the midday meal scheme to Classes VI to VIII in Delhi government schools, the extension of the scheme has hit yet another roadblock with questions being raised about the credentials of some of the firms being considered for the contract.

In July 2008, the Delhi government had invited Expressions of Interest from various NGOs and organisations to provide midday meals to Classes VI to VIII. Nearly a year after the expansion plan was passed, the DoE is still not in a position to implement the scheme. Currently, midday meals are served in primary schools run by the municipal corporation and the Delhi government.

Education Minister Arvinder Singh Lovely has confirmed that the process of rewarding contracts to shortlisted companies has been halted. “We received information that one of the companies listed by the committee has an FIR registered against it due to negligence on its part regarding midday meals supplied to MCD schools. We now have to look into the matter,” said the minister.

Interestingly, the company in question, the Indicare Trust, was given a ‘D’ grade by the MCD review committee, even though the DoE report marks it as a ‘good’ candidate, shortlisted in the top 17 of the 70 applications.

“Our committees did not look into the history of the organisations. They only checked whether the applicant had sufficient infrastructure to provide meals,” said the Minister.

Seventy interested parties had submitted applications to the Directorate of Education in July. The initial report, which had been prepared by the DoE officials, was rejected after questions regarding the authenticity of the inquiries were raised.

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