Ludhiana, Oct. 13 -- Several government primary schools across the district have stopped serving mid-day meals to students because of months-long delays in payments to vendors, while others have warned of suspending the service if their pending bills are not cleared.

School authorities said vendors had refused to supply ingredients on credit, leaving them unable to continue preparing meals.

School authorities said funds were available with the department, but procedural delays and problems with the payment portal had held up payments to vendors.

Davinder Singh Sidhu, district senior vice-president of the Democratic Teachers' Front (DTF), said Government Primary School (GPS), Kothe Ralan, stopped serving mid-day meals on October 12 afte...