The scheme was introduced a few years ago and there have been a few horrid incidents in the past. Apparently, the self-help group (SHG) responsible for the food delivered to the ill-fated school haven’t been known for their diligence in the past. Food delivered by them was rejected by another school recently. That in itself should have raised red flags for the department of education. But this incident wasn’t flagged, despite directives by the department to ensure that daily assessments should be made.
One of the objectives of the mid-day meal scheme is to raise the nutritional value of the food that the young are consuming. If this is the case, why are we spending small amounts of money on the food, which only makes self-help groups and other organisations cut corners when it comes to preparing this food? The government of Goa needs to start taking this responsibility very seriously. There is no point starting something if you cannot follow through on it.
