PANAJI: The Directorate of Education (DoE) on Thursday issued order suspending the contract of Ashtavinayak Self-Help Group (SHG) to provide mid-day meals (MDMs) to 21 schools in Bicholim taluka.
The contract was suspended till further order after the education department learnt that Ashtavinayak SHG had violated the instructions given by the department when signing the contract to supply MDMs.
Ashtavinayak SHG has been supplying MDMs to nearly a thousand children in 17 primary and four upper primary schools.
As per the order issued, ADEI, Bicholim along with the nutrition expert on September 14 visited the kitchen where the MDMs were being cooked by Ashtavinayak SHG, Pale.
"The registered address of M/s Ashtavinayak SHG, Pale is H No 241, Talemath, Pale, North Goa as per the licence issued by the designated officer of Food and Drugs Administration, Goa."
"It was observed on the day of inspection that MDM is not cooked at the registered address of M/s Ashtavinayak SHG , Pale, but it is cooked at the kitchen maintained separately at the residence of Bhavana Mandrekar. Her residential address is 227/A, Bhamai, Pale, Bicholim," stated the order.
The order further stated that vide annexure II of the contract it has been informed that the food items need to be cooked in clean and tidy kitchen rooms which are approved by the Directorate of Food and Drugs Administration.
"The Ashtavinayak SHG violated the instructions given at the time of signing the agreement by cooking MDMs at a place other than the registered address. On earlier occasion there were complaints against your group in the year 2016", the order said.
"By considering lapses on your part the contract to supply MDMs for primary and upper primary schools in Bicholim taluka has been suspended till further order", stated the order.
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PALE SHG IN SOUP
* Contract suspended till further order after education department learns that Ashtavinayak SHG had violated instructions in contract
* ADEI, Bicholim along with the nutrition expert on September 14 visited the kitchen where the meals were being cooked
* It was observed the meals were not cooked at the registered address but at a kitchen maintained separately at some other residence
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No official intimation? SHG
continues supply of meals
PANAJI: Claiming it had not received anything in writing from the education department suspending its contract to provide Mid-Day Meals (MDMs), the Ashtavinayak Self-Helf Group (SHG) continued its supply of meals to 21 schools in Bicholim taluka on Friday.
Speaking to The Goan Everyday, member of the Ashtavinayak SHG Bhavana Mandrekar said, "We were visited by the Bicholim ADEI and the nutrition expert on September 14. Suddenly on Thursday evening, we received a call from the ADEI office asking us to stop the supply MDMs from Friday onwards. But we were not given any specific reason on why our contract was suspended. However, we continued with the supply on Friday also, as we had not received any intimation in writing."
The Ashtavinayak SHG provided pav and chana bhaji as MDMs to the 21 schools on Friday.
Asked about the reason to suspend the contract specified in the order, she said, "We had shifted the kitchen about a month ago due to minor repairs and after shifting, we had intimated the ADEI office too."
"We really do not understand why this has been done," she said.
