A recent budget document from West Bengal highlighted the concerning under-utilization of funds allocated for the midday meal scheme. For the ongoing financial year 2026-27, out of the total budget of Rs 1,673.12 crore, only 19.12% is expected to be utilized by March 31, 2026. The utilization rates for the previous two financial years, 2024-25 and 2023-24, were similarly low.
In 2024-25, despite a budget allocation of Rs 2,299.30 crore, only 10.52% was utilized. The situation was not much better in 2023-24, with only 21.66% of the allocated Rs 2,377 crore being utilized. This results in an average utilization rate of just 16.96% over the three years.
In response to these low utilization rates, the budget allocation for the midday meal scheme in 2026-27 has been reduced to Rs 1,150.90 crore by the West Bengal government. However, this figure may be subject to revision after the upcoming Assembly elections. The Union government had previously expressed concern over a decline in student participation in the midday meal scheme, linking it to an increase in school dropouts in West Bengal.
