“How to get bills for veggies and fruits?”: New midday meal portal puts Punjab teachers in a fix

The adoption of the SNA-SPARSH (Samyochit Pranali Ekikrit Shighra Hastantaran / System for Payments and Reporting Across Sectors Holistically) portal by the Punjab government to disburse funds for centrally sponsored schemes has put government school teachers in a bind.

Owing to the transition to the new portal, teachers have not received cooking costs for the midday meal scheme for four to five months and are now required to upload bills for every ingredient used, including vegetables and fruits, which local sellers rarely issue.

Under the PM-POSHAN scheme — funded by the Centre and the state in a 60:40 ratio — teachers purchase vegetables, spices, cooking oil and fruits for hot meals served to students from UKG to class 8. Food grains are supplied directly by government agencies.

Earlier, funds were issued to schools in advance, to be spent as per requirement, and records of bills in schools were checked during audits. According to the latest instructions to the teachers, funds will be reimbursed only after bills, preferably with GST, are uploaded for all goods on the portal.

While bills for groceries are obtainable, vegetables and fruits are typically bought from roadside carts and small vendors who do not maintain bill books. Punjab education secretary Sonali Giri, on the delay in release of cooking cost, said “The Samagra Shiksha Abhiyan (SSA) and the PM POSHAN (Midday Meal) have been shifted to SNA SPARSH portal by the Government of India on August 14.

We received the sanction of the midday meal from the GoI after August 15. The first bills have to be cleared via RBI route at Government of India levels. Most of the states are facing this issue. Now the budget money doesn’t come to the state and the allocation is done under the SNA SPARSH and bills are reimbursed through it.” The cooking cost under the scheme is Rs 6.78 per child per day for primary students (UKG to class 5) and Rs 10.17 for upper primary (Class 6 to 8).

The Punjab government also provides a separate budget of Rs 5 per child per week for seasonal fruits — typically bananas. "The bigger problem is for fruits, which we mostly buy from local sellers. The budget is just Rs 5 per child and we are already buying bananas at Rs 7 to 8 apiece, the extra cost is paid by teachers from their own pockets.

Even if we find a seller who gives us a bill, the cost will increase manifold if GST is included," said Pawan Kumar, a teacher from Muktsar district. "Four months is a very long time to pay from your own pocket for groceries, fruits and vegetables.

We have no idea how things will work if funds are not released soon," said a teacher from Ludhiana. Another from Ferozepur added: "It is still viable for schools in cities to get bills from big shops, but in villages, no local seller gives bills for vegetables.

Teachers are already burdened by the delay this transition has caused." Speaking to The Indian Express, Rahul Bakshi, nodal accountant for the midday meal scheme in Mukhtsar district, confirmed the concern had been conveyed to higher authorities in Chandigarh.

“It has been clarified that GST bills are required for groceries, but for fruits and vegetables, we are waiting for clearer instructions. Even if the GST condition is removed, bills with proper firm names and amounts will still be required.

We are expecting a solution from Chandigarh soon,” he said. A district education officer, speaking anonymously, acknowledged the delay. "Teachers have not received cooking costs for four to five months because of the transition of the earlier Punjab Financial Management System (PFMS) to the new portal.

The budget has now been received and we will start crediting money to schools once bills are uploaded," the officer said. SNA-SPARSH is a digital fund-flow and cash-management system launched by the Government of India to reform how funds to the states are released and tracked for the Centrally Sponsored Schemes (CSS).