MARGAO
Strongly condemning the State government’s failure to clear pending bills amounting to over Rs 13 crore owed to self-help groups (SHGs) providing mid-day meals to schools in Goa, the Goa Forward party has urged the Education Department to address this matter on an urgent priority failing which the party has warned that party leaders and supporters would barge into the Education Department.
Addressing the media on Saturday, Party Vice-President Adv Ashma said the welfare and nutritional needs of students cannot be compromised, and the prompt resolution of this issue is crucial to ensure their well-being.
She said as schools are set to reopen for the new academic year, thousands of students face the risk of missing out on their entitled meals, as SHGs threaten to discontinue supplies if payments are not made promptly. “Goa has enough funds to spend on events and on renovating CMO office by spending crores of rupees. But doesn’t have funds for children’s meals,” Ashma said.
She added: “It is deeply distressing to learn that these SHGs, which play a vital role in providing nutritious meals to students, have not been paid for over six months, leaving them in dire financial circumstances. The failure to honour their hard work and dedication is a severe blow to their sustainability and compromises the welfare of students across the State.”
The GFP has demanded immediate action from the State government to rectify this gross negligence, demanding the government must prioritise the well-being and nutritional needs of students by promptly releasing the pending payments to SHGs. “Delays and non-payment of bills have become recurring issues, causing undue hardships to these suppliers and disrupting the crucial mid-day meal programme,” she added.
Expressing concern over the claim that the Central component of the funds has not yet been received by the State, Asma, however, said the State government is not revealing or addressing the reason for the delay.
Saying the present delay indicated that the State government is yet to fulfil its obligation, the GFP has demanded that the authorities to take urgent steps to expedite the release of these funds and ensure timely disbursement to the SHGs providing mid-day meals.
The GFP has demanded a host of actions to be taken immediately, including implementation of the recommendations of the Program Approval Board at the earliest, clearing of all pending bills; strengthening coordination between the State and Central governments to expedite the release of funds and address any administrative barriers that hinder the timely disbursement of payments, besides uploading monthly reports pertaining to the performance of the scheme, fund utilisation and payments disbursed.
