PANJIM: Without clearing the pending mid-day meal bills, the government is now according to many Self Help groups, arm-twisting them by bringing in new suppliers.
Director of Education Shailesh Zingade said that in the contract, they have included a clause, wherein they can replace the SHGs, if the latter stops or threatens to stop the supply of mid-day meals to students
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The SHGs feel that the government’s ‘arm-twisting’ tactic of deciding to rope in NGOs/CSOs to supply the mid-day meals is in response to what the government terms “repeated threats” from the SHGs to stop food supply to schools. If the services of SHGs are terminated prematurely, the Directorate of Education has now resolved to replace them with new suppliers.
The department has written to all 98 SHGs and eight Parent-Teacher Associations (PTAs), who were currently supplying the mid-day meal to 1.60 lakh students to renew their one-year contract.
“In the contract, we have included a clause, wherein we can replace the SHG, if they stop or threaten to stop the supply of meals to students,” Director of Education Shailesh Zingade said on Monday.
The Self-Help Groups feel hurt and frustrated at the Government’s proposed action. “For 16 years we have been into this. What are we supposed to do? We feel bad as the Chief Minister talks about Swayampurna Goa and on the other hand; his own director makes such statements. We don’t know what to do and where to go? The government spends crores of rupees on functions and programmes but we don’t know what is it that is making them take a step back when it comes to the issue.
Referring to news reports, Zingade told reporters that there have been instances where SHGs have stopped supplying to students due to transportation or other issues. He said that last year mid-day meal suppliers from five talukas — Mormugao, Ponda, Salcete, Tiswadi and Pernem — had threatened to stop the supply of cooked food to students if the government fails to hike the rates.
“This year too they have threatened us over pending bills, which are now cleared.” This claim has not been confirmed as O Heraldo found many SHGs still waiting for their mounting bills to be cleared and credited.
“The process takes time as the funds have to be released by the Central government,” Zingade explained and added “Owing to all these things, we have introduced this new clause wherein we can replace the SHG if they stop or threaten to stop the supply of meals to students,” Director of Education Shailesh Zingade said on Monday.
He added, “We have asked SHGs to submit their representation so as to place it before the government for decision.”
Several members of the SHGs on Monday called on the Director of Education demanding that the government withdraw its plan to tender service of mid-day meal supply to any NGOs or CSOs.
They also demanded that rather than an annual renewal of the contract, the department should sign a three-year contract.
Zingade said that Goa is the only State that pays Rs 8 per child in a pre-primary and primary category while Rs 10 per child is for upper primary schools to the SHGs.
