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Education
Punjab teachers struggle with new midday‑meal portal over vegetable and fruit bills
✍️ The Indian Express
🗓 15 Sep 2026, 08:01 AM
👁 11
A newly launched portal for the state's midday‑meal scheme is causing confusion among Punjab school teachers who are unsure how to generate bills for vegetables and fruits.
The Punjab government has introduced an online portal intended to streamline the procurement and billing process for the Midday Meal Scheme. However, teachers across the state report that the system does not clearly guide them on creating invoices for fresh produce such as vegetables and fruits, a key component of the nutritious meals.
Several teachers contacted the education department, expressing that the lack of a dedicated option for produce bills forces them to resort to manual workarounds, potentially delaying payments to vendors. The portal’s current design appears to accommodate staple items like grains and oil, but omits clear fields for perishable items.
The education department has acknowledged the feedback and said a technical fix will be rolled out. In the meantime, officials have advised teachers to attach separate supporting documents for produce purchases while awaiting an update to the portal.
If unresolved, the issue could affect the timely delivery of balanced meals to students, a concern for both parents and health officials in the state.
Several teachers contacted the education department, expressing that the lack of a dedicated option for produce bills forces them to resort to manual workarounds, potentially delaying payments to vendors. The portal’s current design appears to accommodate staple items like grains and oil, but omits clear fields for perishable items.
The education department has acknowledged the feedback and said a technical fix will be rolled out. In the meantime, officials have advised teachers to attach separate supporting documents for produce purchases while awaiting an update to the portal.
If unresolved, the issue could affect the timely delivery of balanced meals to students, a concern for both parents and health officials in the state.