Making hunger disappear should be priority
Recent reports about possible disruption in supply to mid-day meals to school children is a worrisome development. The most concerning aspect about the whole issue is that the problem stems from the amount of money allocated by the government per child.
Currently, the government pays less than Rs 10 per child to the self-help groups (SGHs) for providing the meals, which is not in tandem with rise in prices being experienced not only in India but also globally.
The price should clearly not be an issue, but it is unfortunate that it takes a threat to cut-off supply to push the government into considering to raise in the prices. There is sincere hope that this issue is resolved soon so that the children aren’t deprived of the much needed nutrition.
The government should deal with the issue in the seriousness it deserves and make provisions for funds so that the meals to the children aren’t disrupted. Hopefully, besides meeting the demands of the suppliers, the government allocates additional money to provide more nutritious meals to the students.
Godfrey Braganza, Aldona
