**Executive Summary**
This document is the response from the Minister of State in the Ministry of Education to the Lok Sabha Unstarred Question No. 68, addressed on December 1, 2025, concerning the PM POSHAN Scheme in the Darjeeling and Kalimpong districts of West Bengal. It outlines the scheme's coverage, funding, and efforts to address irregularities, as well as plans for expansion and improvements to infrastructure and nutritional components. The response includes details of fund allocation and utilization up to FY 2025-26, as well as data on school and student coverage, attached as Annexure I and II.
**Key Points / Main Content**
* **PM POSHAN Scheme Overview:**
* The Pradhan Mantri Poshan Shakti Nirman (PM POSHAN) Scheme is a Centrally Sponsored Scheme providing hot cooked and nutritious meals to children in Bal Vatika (just before class-I) and classes I to VIII in Government and Government-aided schools.
* It covers about 11 crore children in more than 10.35 lakh schools across States and Union Territories.
* Overall responsibility lies with State Governments and UT Administrations.
* **Budget Allocation (FY 2025-26):**
* The budget allocation for the PM POSHAN Scheme is Rs. 12,500 crore by Government of India.
* The State/UT share is around Rs. 8,500 crore, which includes additional funds for Honorarium to Cook-cum-Helpers and Supplementary Nutrition items.
* The foodgrain allocation is 24.15 lakh MTs, costing around Rs. 9000 crore.
* The overall allocation is more than Rs. 30,000 crore including more than Rs. 21,500 crore made by Government of India.
* **Darjeeling and Kalimpong Districts Data:**
* The number of schools and students covered under the PM POSHAN Scheme is provided in Annexure-I.
* Darjeeling has 1017 Schools and 20382 students.
* Kalimpong has 463 Schools and 15056 students.
* Year-wise details of total funds to Darjeeling and Kalimpong districts are in Annexure-II.
* **Addressing Irregularities:**
* The Government of West Bengal reported one complaint in Panchabati Higher Secondary School regarding the supply of less food grains.
* An inquiry was conducted by the Executive Director, Gorkhaland Territorial Administration.
* The transport agency involved was show-caused, and their agreement was terminated upon receipt of their reply.
* **Infrastructure and Nutritional Support:**
* Scheme guidelines provide for the construction and repair of Kitchen-cum-Stores (KCS).
* In Darjeeling, 1072 KCS and in Kalimpong, 358 KCS were constructed.
* Repair of 13,129 KCS and procurement of 42,171 units of Kitchen Devices were approved for FY 2024-25 for West Bengal.
* 5% of the total recurring budget is available as a flexi component for States/UTs to use as per their requirement, which can be used for setting up School Nutrition Gardens and providing Supplementary Nutrition interventions.
* The Government of West Bengal provides flexi-funds for supplementary nutrition like eggs and fruits to all students in Darjeeling and Kalimpong districts.
**Impact Analysis**
**Government of India**
* **Impact:** Responsible for allocating and releasing funds for the PM POSHAN Scheme.
* **Action Required:** Continue to allocate and release funds as per the scheme guidelines.
**State Governments and Union Territory Administrations**
* **Impact:** Responsible for implementing the PM POSHAN Scheme and providing hot cooked and nutritious meals.
* **Action Required:** Ensure proper implementation of the scheme, address any irregularities, and utilize funds effectively.
**Schools (Government and Government-aided)**
* **Impact:** Participating in the scheme, they are responsible for providing the cooked meals to students and maintaining the infrastructure
* **Action Required:** Adhere to scheme guidelines, provide nutritious meals, and manage KCS effectively.
**Students**
* **Impact:** Beneficiaries of the hot cooked and nutritious meals provided under the scheme.
* **Action Required:** N/A.
**Gorkhaland Territorial Administration**
* **Impact:** Investigated a complaint regarding irregularities in food grain supply.
* **Action Required:** Take appropriate action against the transport agency responsible for the irregularity.
Key Entities Referenced
PM POSHAN Scheme: Centrally Sponsored Scheme for providing hot cooked meals to children in Government and Government-aided schools.
Darjeeling and Kalimpong: Districts in West Bengal, India, specifically referenced in the policy.
Ministry of Education: The central ministry responsible for the PM POSHAN scheme.
GOVERNMENT OF INDIA
MINISTRY OF EDUCATION
DEPARTMENT OF SCHOOL EDUCATION AND LITERACY
LOK SABHA
UNSTARRED QUESTION NO-68
ANSWERED ON- 01/12/2025
PM POSHAN Scheme in Darjeeling and Kalimpong
68. Shri Raju Bista:
Will the Minister of EDUCATION be pleased to state:
(a) the number of schools and students currently covered under the PM POSHAN (Mid-Day
Meal) scheme in Darjeeling and Kalimpong districts of West Bengal;
(b) the total funds allocated, released and utilized under the scheme in these districts since
2019, year-wise;
(c) whether the Ministry has received any reports regarding irregularities, quality issues, or
interruptions in meal delivery in these districts;
(d) if so, the details thereof and the steps taken by the Government to address such issues;
and
(e) whether the Government has any plans to expand the nutritional components or
infrastructure support (such as kitchens and storage facilities) under PM POSHAN in remote
and hilly regions like Darjeeling and Kalimpong and if so, the details thereof?
ANSWER
MINISTER OF STATE IN THE MINISTRY OF EDUCATION
(SHRI JAYANT CHAUDHARY)
(a) & (b): Pradhan Mantri Poshan Shakti Nirman (PM POSHAN) Scheme is one of the
foremost rights based Centrally Sponsored Scheme implemented in partnership with the
States and Union Territories (UTs) for providing one hot cooked and nutritious meal to all
children studying in Bal Vatika (just before class-I) and classes I to VIII of Government and
Government-aided schools. The Scheme covers about 11 crore children in more than 10.35
lakh schools in all the States/ UTs. The overall responsibility for providing hot cooked and
nutritious meal to the eligible children lies with the State Governments and Union Territory
Administrations. For FY 2025-26, budget allocation for the PM Poshan Scheme is Rs. 12,500
crore by Government of India and the State/ UT share as per the sharing pattern is around Rs.
8,500 crore including additional funds for Honorarium to Cook-cum-Helpers and
Supplementary Nutrition items. The foodgrain allocation by Government of India is 24.15
lakh MTs which costs around Rs. 9000 crore. Thus overall allocation for the PM Poshan
Scheme for FY 2025-26 is more than Rs. 30,000 crore including more than Rs. 21,500 crore
made by Government of India.
The number of schools and students covered under PM POSHAN Scheme in Darjeeling and
Kalimpong districts of West Bengal is at Annexure-I. The year-wise details of total funds to
Darjeeling and Kalimpong districts is at Annexure-II.(c) & (d): Government of West Bengal informed that one complaint in Panchabati
Higher Secondary School, Darjeeling received from Sh. Raju Bista, Hon’ble MP regarding
supply of less food grains than the allotted amount. Enquiry was made by Executive Director,
Gorkhaland Territorial Administration. The transport agency for carrying of foodgrains was
show-caused and upon receipt of their reply the agreement of the transport agency was
terminated by district authority.
(e): The Scheme guidelines provides for construction and repair of Kitchen-cum-Stores
(KCS). Funds for construction and repair of KCS are provided to States/ UTs based on the
proposal received from them. In Darjeeling district 1072 KCS and in Kalimpong district 358
KCS were constructed. Repair of 13,129 Kitchen-cum-Stores (KCS) and procurement of
42171 units of Kitchen Devices was approved for FY 2024-25 to the Government of West
Bengal.
There is a provision of 5% of total recurring budget as the flexi component to be used by the
States/UTs as per their requirement. It may be used for setting up of School Nutrition Gardens
and provision of Supplementary Nutrition interventions in identified districts. Many
States/UTs also provide additional supplementary nutrition interventions such as egg, milk,
chikki, fresh fruits, chicken, ragi malt etc. Government of West Bengal informed that it
provides flexi-funds for supplementary nutrition like eggs and fruits to all students including
in Darjeeling and Kalimpong districts.
*****ANNEXURE-I
ANNEXURE REFERRED TO IN REPLY TO PARTS (A) AND (B) OF LOK SABHA
UNSTARRED QUESTION NO. 68 FOR 01.12.2025 ASKED BY HON’BLE MP SHRI
RAJU BISTA REGARDING PM POSHAN SCHEME IN DARJEELING AND
KALIMPONG.
SCHOOLS AND STUDENTS COVERED UNDER PM POSHAN SCHEME
District Total Schools Total Students
Darjeeling 1017 20382
Kalimpong 463 15056ANNEXURE-II
ANNEXURE REFERRED TO IN REPLY TO PARTS (A) AND (B) OF LOK SABHA
UNSTARRED QUESTION NO. 68 FOR 01.12.2025 ASKED BY HON’BLE MP SHRI
RAJU BISTA REGARDING PM POSHAN SCHEME IN DARJEELING AND
KALIMPONG.
YEAR-WISE DETAILS OF TOTAL FUNDS
Darjeeling (Rs. In lakh) Kalimpong (Rs. In lakh)
Year
Approved Released Utilization Approved Released Utilization
2019-20 782.54 882.33 755.42 453.99 453.07 409.07
2020-21 797.84 782.48 755.36 482.48 389.38 466.08
2021-22 819.08 726.57 793.49 471.25 417.47 464.37
2022-23 755.84 907.42 852.84 494.10 536.30 512.95
2023-24 807.11 840.36 615.95 521.77 547.20 380.97
2024-25 706.40 790.40 682.94 452.41 497.76 417.95