Chandigarh, June 1 -- Flagging a mismatch between the utilisation of food grains and material costs, the project approval board under the PM Poshan Scheme has directed the UT administration to commission an independent study into how mid-day meals are being prepared and served in UT schools. According to the board's minutes for FY 2026-27, while Chandigarh reported utilising 88% of its allocated material cost (Rs.10.79 crore) under the scheme, it used only 63% of its allotted food grains (Rs.41.45 lakh)-a 25% gap that the board found difficult to reconcile. Material cost and food grain utilisation are expected to move broadly in tandem. The UT administration offered an explanation, attributing the lower food grain drawdown to factors such as reduced student attendance, examination periods, and school vacations. The board, however, was not convinced. It observed that the reasons cited by the UT should not have resulted in a mismatch of this magnitude. Consequently, it directed the administration to commission an independent study to identify the actual reasons behind the low utilisation. The board also issued an advisory directing the UT to ensure that meals are prepared strictly in accordance with prescribed norms under the scheme, including the use of adequate quantities of food grains and other ingredients, so as to meet the stipulated nutritional standards for calories and protein. The observations carry weight given the scale of the scheme in the UT. The board has approved coverage of 57,659 students for the current financial year-including 8,318 at the Bal Vatika level, 25,665 in primary classes, and 23,676 in upper primary-across 229 working days, with 900 cook-cum-helpers engaged for meal preparation. The total central assistance approved stands at Rs.12.55 crore, covering material costs (Rs.10.79 crore), honorariums for cook-cum-helpers (Rs.90 lakh), food grain logistics, and monitoring expenses, with an additional flexible component of Rs.62.77 lakh. Notably, the UT has not submitted any proposal for the admissible flexi-component. The approved central assistance of Rs.12.55 crore also includes a tentative unspent balance of Rs.1.49 crore, as reported by the UT as of March 31, 2026-a figure that will be reconciled once final utilisation data is submitted in the prescribed format. The board has also advised the UT to ensure an uninterrupted supply of hot cooked meals on all school days, regardless of delays in fund releases or food grain supply constraints, and to disseminate the scheme's approvals to all field functionaries so that all eligible students receive their entitled meals irrespective of administrative bottlenecks....