KOLKATA: Trinamool Congress Rajya Sabha MP and party joint secretary Derek O’Brien on Wednesday accused the BJP government in West Bengal of depriving children of nutrition by attempting to replace eggs in school mid-day meals.
The issue arose after Finance Minister Swapan Dasgupta, while presenting the state budget on Monday, said ISKCON would assist in the preparation and distribution of meals under the mid-day meal scheme in schools under the Kolkata Municipal Corporation area.
According to reports, ISKCON has proposed replacing eggs with plant-based sources of protein, including paneer and rajma, in the existing menu.
Escalating his attack on the BJP, Derek wrote on X, “After the fish-eating tamasha during the election campaign, the Gujarat Gymkhana finally reveals itself. New BJP govt at work in Bengal.”
He alleged that while eggs were being used as a political tool against rivals, children were being deprived of nutrition. “Throw eggs at rivals. But deprive children of nutrition by taking eggs off from midday meals. Imposing vegetarianism. Bengal rejects this,” the Rajya Sabha MP wrote on X.
Under the existing system, students in Bengal schools receive eggs once a week, while rice, dal and potato curry are served on the remaining school days. Eggs are considered an important source of protein in efforts to address child malnutrition.
“We would buy chicken and give it to those who cooked the mid-day meals. They would additionally cook the chicken. On some days, we would make arrangements so the students got fish,” a school head said.
Reacting to the development, Chandan Maiti, state general secretary of the Advanced Society for Headmasters and Headmistresses, said, “We have no objection to the provision of vegetarian meals provided that the nutritional food value of students are adequately met.”
He added that the primary objective of the Mid-Day Meal scheme is to ensure proper nutrition for schoolchildren and that if equivalent nutritional requirements can be provided through vegetarian food, the initiative deserves appreciation.