{
  "id": 7425058,
  "title": "“How to get bills for veggies and fruits?”: New midday meal portal puts Punjab teachers in a fix",
  "url": "https://urgent.news/2026/09/14/how-to-get-bills-for-veggies-and-fruits-new-midday-meal-portal-puts",
  "topic": "world",
  "section": "World",
  "published": "2026-09-14T23:32:22.000Z",
  "source": {
    "name": "The Indian Express",
    "slug": "the-indian-express",
    "url": "https://indianexpress.com/article/cities/chandigarh/how-to-get-bills-for-veggies-and-fruits-new-midday-meal-portal-puts-punjab-teachers-in-a-fix-10878153/"
  },
  "original_language": "en",
  "account": "Government school teachers in Punjab are facing a dilemma after the adoption of the SNA-SPARSH portal for disbursing funds for centrally sponsored schemes. The new system has resulted in teachers not receiving cooking costs for the midday meal scheme for four to five months now. To comply with the updated instructions, teachers must now upload bills for every ingredient used, including vegetables and fruits, which local sellers rarely provide.\n\nThe PM-POSHAN scheme, funded 60:40 by the Centre and the state, requires teachers to purchase vegetables, fruits, spices, and cooking oil for meals served to students from UKG to class 8. Previously, funds were issued to schools in advance, and records of bills were checked during audits. Under the new rules, funds will only be reimbursed after bills, ideally with GST, are uploaded on the portal.\n\nPunjab education secretary Sonali Giri explained that the Samagra Shiksha Abhiyan and the PM POSHAN have been shifted to the SNA SPARSH portal since August 14. The first bills have to be cleared through the RBI route at the government of India levels. Most states are facing this issue, but now the budget money doesn't reach the state and is allocated under SNA SPARSH, making bill reimbursement a challenge.\n\nThe main issue lies in fruits, which are mostly bought from local sellers. The budget for seasonal fruits, typically bananas, is Rs 5 per child per week, but the cost has increased to Rs 7 to 8 apiece. Teachers have to pay the extra amount from their own pockets. Even if a seller provides a bill, the cost increases significantly with GST, as noted by Pawan Kumar, a teacher from Muktsar district.\n\nThe delay in fund release has caused significant financial strain on teachers. One teacher from Ludhiana mentioned that paying from their own pocket for groceries, fruits, and vegetables for four months is a long time. Another teacher from Ferozepur added that while schools in cities can get bills from big shops, local sellers in villages rarely provide them, leaving teachers in a difficult position.\n\nRahul Bakshi, the nodal accountant for the midday meal scheme in Muktsar district, confirmed that the concern has been communicated to higher authorities in Chandigarh. They are awaiting clearer instructions on GST bills for groceries and are expecting a solution soon. A district education officer acknowledged the delay and explained that the budget has been received, and money will be credited to schools once bills are uploaded on the portal.",
  "summary": null,
  "key_points": [],
  "editors_take": null,
  "illustration": null,
  "coverage": {
    "outlets": 1,
    "also_reported_by": []
  },
  "ai_generated": true,
  "disclaimer": "Summaries, key points and the editor’s take are written by software from other outlets’ reporting and may contain errors — always check the linked original."
}