BEIJING - Whistleblowing is welcomed if anyone becomes aware of misconduct in the management of Chinese rural students' nutritional meal fund, according to a statement issued by the Ministry of Education on Wednesday.

The statement said the move is aimed at boosting the transparency and clean operation of the country's rural students' nutrition improvement plan, the scheme introduced late last year to help fund healthier school meals.

A national office in charge of the plan has published phone numbers (86-10-6609-6145, 86-10-6609-6409) and an email address (xsyyjb@moe.edu.cn) for use by informants, and promised to deal with each real-name reported case seriously, the statement said.

The ministry ordered authorities to investigate, verify and handle reported cases in a timely manner, in cooperation with discipline inspection and supervision departments, and punish those who misappropriate nutritional meal funds.

The State Council, or Cabinet, decided to unveil the nutrition improvement plan for students at rural primary school and junior middle schools in October.

From the central budget, 16 billion yuan (2.54 billion US dollars) will be allocated annually to subsidize students in 680 pilot counties, with each student entitled to three yuan as nutrition subsidies.

The policy benefits more than 26 million primary and middle school students in China's most underprivileged villages, almost one third of the entire rural students in central and western regions.