PANAJI
Amid reports that thousands of children may have to go without their mid-day meal when schools re-open post the Diwali vacation owing to the tussle between contractors and the Education Department over backlog payments and meal rates, the Commission for Protection of Child Rights has written to the Director of Education to ensure a solution to the crisis.
Commission chairman, Peter Borges has asked the Director of Education to eke out an early solution to the issue and sought a compliance report within 15 days.
“This is worrisome and the government should make every effort to prevent this. The mid-day meal scheme is aimed to provide food to young school going children ensuring protection of their right to food and education,” Borges said citing the media reports which talk of the possibility of the meals going unserved post the vacation.
“The whole idea behind MDMS since its conception in 1995 has been to provide nutritious food to all children in schools to improve both their nutritional status and their attendance,” Borges said while pointing out that the children’s right to food will be violated if the meals go unserved.
“The children’s right to education as enshrined in article 21-A of the Constitution will be indirectly violated. The provision of a meal is key reason why many children attend/are able to attend school,” the letter said, adding that if the food is taken away, attendance is likely to fall and learning will suffer.
“The scheme has helped children from the poor background to get education and save themselves from malnutrition,” Borges said, while acknowledging the efforts of the Directorate of Education to resolve the issue.
Nonetheless, citing the facts reported in the media, Borges said these are alarming and hint at “very serious issues” which require long-term policy interventions.
Mildly indicting the department, the letter points out that procedures should have stabilised since more than two decades have passed since the mid-day meal became part of daily routine in schools.
The mid-day meal scheme has a great transformative potential and should not be perceived as charity but a right of the children and a civic responsibility, the letter adds.
On Wednesday, a group of cash-strapped mid-day meal contractors servicing schools in five talukas were up in arms as they discussed with education officials their precarious financial position in the face of pending bills and uneconomical rates.
If the problems are not resolved urgently, the scheme will collapse and they will be in no position to serve meals in schools when they re-open post the Diwali vacation, the group of these contractors, mostly women running self-help groups in the five talukas of Mormugao, Salcete, Tiswadi, Ponda and Pernem had said.
They said none of their bills since schools resumed this year have been paid and that they would be in no position to continue serving cooked meals.
