JAGATSINGHPUR: Delay in supply of essential commodities including foodgrains under Mid Day Meal (MDM) scheme to primary schools in the district by Food Supplies and Consumer Welfare Department has deprived hundreds of children of food for the last 10 days. Similarly, children in slum areas of the Port City are not getting MDM due to lack of kitchen shed.
According to sources, about 25 per cent of primary schools in the district do not have kitchens. The State Government, district administration and Sarva Shiksha Abhiyan (SSA) officials have failed to provide infrastructure for preparing MDM in six primary schools of Paradip despite the direction of National Human Right Commission (NHRC).
Similarly, due to delay in supply of foodgrains by the Civil Supply Department, primary schools in Erasama, Balikuda and other blocks of the district have stopped providing MDM to the children. Students of these areas have not been served MDM since the schools reopened after summer vacation, in violation of the Right to Education Act, 2009.
One such school is Radhapadma Nodal Primary School, where 164 children are enrolled. Before the school was closed for vacation, it had received 90 kgs of rice in April. It had used the stock and provided MDM with the services of an SHG. After the stock got exhausted, MDM was stopped.
School Headmistress Anjali Das said shortage of rice has forced the SHG to stop providing noon meals in the school. Meanwhile, local Sarpanch Susant Kumar Sahu has sought the intervention of Collector to supply rice to the school.
Zilla Parishad member Sarada Prasad Jena said this is not the only school which has been deprived of MDM. Around 15 primary schools including Naubellari Primary School, Ramatara Primary School, Baghadi Primary School and other schools under Erasama block are also facing the same problem.
According to official sources, MDM is implemented in 1,561 schools covering 1.15 lakh students in the district. But the scheme is set to be paralysed in 25 per cent of schools during monsoon due to lack of kitchen shed.
The schools under Paradip Municipality not having kitchen facility are Bangalipada Primary School (Ward 18), Loknath Colony Project Primary School, Lockpada Primary School, Bangalipada Primary School (Ward 6), Balijhara Gholapada Primary School and Noliashai Project Primary School.
Contacted, Executive Officer of Paradip Municipality Purna Chandra Mishra admitted they have received complaints about discontinuation of MDM in schools due to lack of kitchens and delay in rice supply. They have sought the intervention of the SSA authorities and School and Mass Education Department to solve the problem, he added.
State Government has failed to provide infrastructure for preparing MDM in six schools of Paradip port area despite the direction of NHRC in this regard
Due to delay in supply of foodgrains, primary schools in Erasama, Balikuda and other blocks have stopped providing MDM meal
Noon meal Scheme Hit by High Vegetable Prices
Berhampur: The skyrocketing prices of vegetables have badly affected the Mid Day Meal (MDM) programme in Ganjam district. The programme is implemented to provide food to 8.92 lakh children from Class I to VIII including 3.80 lakh children of anganwadi centres in the district. Berhampur CDPO Bibhuprabha Ratha said the Government releases `6 per student, but the expenses come around `9 per student. The Collector has been requested to increase the amount. Meanwhile, the menu for the MDM has been changed due to price rise of vegetables. Instead of egg curry, the students are being given boiled eggs. Anganwadi workers said while the Government releases 87 paisa per egg, they have to purchase it at ` five from open market. When asked how they are managing the show, they said they have no option other than to show excess strength of students to adjust the deficit. Due to rise in prices of potato and onion, they are unable to prepare the curry for noon meals, they added. Corporator Anil Nayak said even Nandi Foundation, a voluntary organisation, which has been entrusted to distribute cooked food to several schools in three blocks of the district including those in Berhampur, also replaced ‘Dalma’ and ‘Sambar’ with bananas. The matter has been brought to the notice of the Municipal Commissioner for necessary action, he added.