PANAJI
The Education Department on Monday made it clear that it will not hesitate to transfer the responsibility of supplying mid-day meals to students to a new agency if the Self Help Groups (SHGs) fail to fulfill their annual contract.
The SHGs’ recurring tendency to threaten the government to halt the supply of hot cooked food to students has prompted the department to introduce a new clause in the contract. This clause allows replacing the SHGs in the event of such a situation in the future.
The department’s letters to all 98 SHGs and eight Parent-Teacher Associations to renew their one-year contract has made mention of this new clause. These SHGs and the PTAs are currently supplying meals to 1.60 lakh students.
“We have included a clause wherein the SHG can be replaced if they stop or threaten to stop the supply of meals to students,” Director of Education Shailesh Zingade said clearly indicating the government will not accept unruly attitude from the SHGs any longer.
Earlier during the day, several members of the SHGs met the Director to demand that the government withdraw its Expression of Interest, which invited Civil Society Organizations and/or Non-Governmental Organizations to bid for the project. The SHGs have held a monopoly over this project so far.
In their meeting with the Director, the SHG members also requested a three-year contract instead of the current one-year contract.
Citing various news reports, Zingade claimed that the SHGs have previously stopped the supply of mid-day meals to students on several occasions due to transportation or other issues.
In the most recent instance, the SHGs threatened to halt the supply unless their unpaid dues were cleared by June 30. However, these pending bills have now been settled through State funds with the government approving Rs 13 crore recently.
Zingade explained that the process takes time as the funds have to be released from the central government. These recurring situations prompted the introduction of the new clause. “Goa pays higher wages per child compared to other States, and the fund sharing between the Central government and the State government is evenly split, unlike in other States where it is on a 60:40 sharing basis,” he said.
Not only have there been issues with the SHGs, but in April-May of this year, the Central Government’s Programme Advisory Board on mid-day meals suggested that Goa explore the possibility of partnering with other food supply agencies to run the scheme more efficiently and without hassles.
The department has also requested that the SHGs submit their representation, which will then be submitted to the government for a decision.
