Mandleshwar (Madhya Pradesh): The state government is shelling out more money than many other states to serve nutritious mid-day meals in schools. On the flip side, many who are responsible to run the scheme smoothly are spoiling the arrangements.
One of such incidents was reported at the Government Primary and Middle School in Mandleshwar where kids are being fed only with alternative breakfast like biscuits, sev- parmal, poha, khichdi and dal-rice. Government Boys Secondary School’s children even said that in the last eight days they were given breakfast only for two days, including biscuits.
On reaching Mandleshwar Sankul, in-charge JK Soni with the reporter on Tuesday talked to the kids who said that sev-parmal and biscuits were given to them.
Meanwhile, to cover-up what is going on, Anita Manve, in charge of Boys Secondary School, said that the children are being given breakfast daily. On the same occasion, girls were given pulses and rice in the girls’ secondary school. When the girls were asked, they replied that alternative food like khichdi, dal-rice is being given daily.
System collapses due to SHG strike From August 1, women self-help groups (SHG) preparing mid-day meals are on a state-level strike in support of their 12-point demands. Due to the strike, the system of mid-day meal has gone awry.
Owing to the strike, the department had sent a copy of an order to the in-charge of all schools to make an alternative arrangement where children should be fed sev-parmal, biscuits, poha, khichdi and dal-rice in the mid-day meal. Taking advantage of which some school in-charge did not feed the children anything for most of the days.
Sharing the information, Sankul principal JK Soni said that a letter was issued by the Development Block Academic Co-ordinator from the BRC office to make an alternative arrangement for the mid-day meal. It was sent to all school in-charges.
For the purpose of regular monitoring, all school in-charges were directed to take photographs of what is being fed to the children and send them to the WhatsApp group of the packages. On the other hand, Block Academic Co-ordinator Sitaram Prajapat said that before the strike, instructions were given to all school in-charges to make alternative arrangements.
Under the scheme, there is a provision to serve food as per the menu fixed by the school management committee, but due to paucity of resources, orders for alternative arrangements were issued.
Its information was given to the collector, district panchayat CEO and janpad panchayat CEO. If the alternative arrangement is not being followed by any school management committee, then appropriate action will be taken after investigation.
