PANAJI
The coming week might see the Education Department finalising the bidder to supply mid-day meals (MDM) to students, a development that will give tough competition to the self-help groups who hitherto dominated the scheme.
The Bangalore-based Akshaya Patra Foundation is currently the leading contender among five Non-Governmental Organisations and Civil Society Organisations that responded to the Expression of Interest (EOI) issued by the department last month.
“Two NGOs, Akshaya Patra and Stree Shakti are the strong contenders. The first NGO is likely to bag the contract as their experience and records are impressive. An announcement of the final selected bidder is expected within the next two days, but certainly this week,” an official said.
Besides the two, Ghanashyam Sewa Samiti, National Federation of Farmers Procurement Processing and Retailing Cooperatives of India Limited, and Kendriya Bhandar are the other three bidders shortlisted till the final round.
The EOI specifically mentioned engaging the services of NGO/CSO to supply hot cooked meals in schools. “Govt of Goa intends to engage the CSO / NGO working in India for supply of freshly hot cooked Mid-Day-Meal to the children of Pre-Primary, Primary and Upper Primary classes studying in its Govt and Govt Aided School. All the interested CSOs / NGOs should be a body registered under the Societies Registration Act 1860 or the Public Trust Act and should have been in the existence for a minimum period of Five (05) years on the date of publication of this notice,” the nine-page tender signed by Education Director Shailesh Zingde had stated.
This came as a surprise to 98 self-help groups and eight Parent-Teacher Associations, most of who complained of prolonged payment delays. The SHGs had also set a deadline to stop meal supplies post-June 30 if the payment issue remained unsolved after which the government had approved releasing Rs 13 crore from its share of funds.
