Chandigarh yet to serve meals in schools

Naina Mishra

Chandigarh, April 20

On hold for two years, the UT Education Department is yet to start the serving of hot cooked meals in the schools under the Mid-Day Meal scheme even after the resumption of offline classes in the government schools.

The scheme came to a halt when schools were closed with the onset of the Covid pandemic in early March 2020. Even though the schools opened for a short while, cooked meals in schools did not resume.

The UT Administration had initially deposited the amount equal to the cost of food grain and cooking cost into the accounts of the parents of the enrolled children. But after September 2021, the UT Administration started distributing food grain, pulses, oil and vegetables to the children.

Even now, food grain is being given to the families of children and physical distribution of meals has not yet started in the government schools. Many parents, who belong to the labour class, now want their children to avail of mid-day meal in the schools.

The Centre had written to states and Union Territories in November 2021, advising them to resume the service of hot cooked meals in schools.

Sarita Devi from Halo Majra said, “The scheme was an important source of nutrition for children and they enjoyed it very much. We are not able to fulfil the nutrition requirement of our children. It will be really helpful if the school starts giving them food on the premises. We also came to know that the school was to provide flavoured milk to children as well. We will request them to start the meal scheme soon.”

A government schoolteacher said, “Earlier, students were not coming to the school even though it opened in a phased manner last year. Now, after the beginning of the new session, we see around 65-70 per cent students attending classes in the school.”

Previously, Chandigarh had awarded a tender to Verka Milk Plant, Mohali, to provide flavoured milk once a week to the eligible students under the scheme but it could not be distributed among children due to the Covid-19 pandemic.

As many as 49,552 children in primary classes and 40,970 children in upper primary classes are the beneficiaries of the Mid-Day Meal scheme in Chandigarh.

Meanwhile, the reasons for not starting the scheme could not be known as the District Education Officer, the Director, School Education, and the Education Secretary did not respond to queries made by this reporter.

Parents want scheme resumed

At present, food grain is being given to the families of children and physical distribution of meals has not yet started in government schools. Many parents, who belong to the labour class, now want their children to avail of mid-day meal in the schools so that their nutrition requirement is fulfilled.