TEAM HERALD
PANJIM: Despite the midday meal scheme coming under a lot of fire after repeated cases of children falling sick, the Directorate of Education on Tuesday extended the contract of self help groups (SHG) that supply these meals, till such time as the government comes out with an alternative or proper mechanism to provide hygienic food to students.
Director of Education Anil Powar said that the five-year long contract of SHG expired on Tuesday and accordingly extension has been granted to them till an alternative is worked out. He said that the SHG will have to register themselves with the Directorate of Food and Drug Administration (FDA).
The functioning of SHG came under the scanner following three cases of food poisoning of students, reported over the last one month. A total of 119 students from three different schools in Canacona (80), Usgao (20) and Pernem (19) were affected with food poisoning after consuming meals served to them during the school recess.
When asked, Powar said that government is contemplating possibility of engaging Bangalore-based Akshaya Patra, a charitable organization run by ISKCON for providing mid-day meal scheme to schools. He said that the department officials along with FDA members would be shortly visiting Bangalore to understand the functioning of Akshaya Patra.
“Serving hygienic meals would also be looked into,” he said adding that government has decided to issue fresh guidelines to the schools with certain changes in food, served to the students.
Chief Minister Manohar Parrikar on Monday had cautioned that if school managements and parents teachers associations (PTAs) do not take the responsibility of monitoring the meal, served to children, government would suspend the scheme, till a proper mechanism is put in place to provide 100 percent hygienic food.
He had said that along with the current food menu- pav bhaji and sheera, more options would be made available to the schools, which can opt for the food item of their choice and the same would be served to them.
When asked, Powar said that government is contemplating possibility of engaging Bangalore-based Akshaya Patra, a charitable organization run by ISKCON for providing mid-day meal scheme to schools
