Apart from providing books and uniforms to school students, under the PM POSHAN scheme, popularly known as the mid-day meal, nearly 1.62 lakh students from Std I to Std VIII in Goa are provided with freshly cooked hot meals during recess time.
However, the supply of food has been going through roller-coaster rides for more than a decade. First, it began with the sub-standard quality of food being served by the Self-Help Groups (SHGs) engaged in the supply of the mid-day meal, which led to students being rushed to hospitals after falling sick due to the consumption of contaminated food. This led to the former Chief Minister Manohar Parrikar engaging in talks with Akshaya Patra, a non-profit NGO of the International Society for Krishna Consciousness (ISKCON) in Bengaluru, Karnataka.
Over the last decade much has changed – from the number of SHGs engaged in supplying the meal to the improvement in the quality of the food. Last year, after many negotiations and threats to discontinue supplying food due to inflation and price rise in the commodities, the government succumbed and increased the allocation of funds. However, the current academic year has stumbled upon another major problem and the SHGs are divided on the matter. As the government has not paid the outstanding dues to the SHGs since October last year, some have threatened to discontinue the supply due to their financial blockade, while others have decided to continue acknowledging it as their responsibility towards the students, who should not have to be burdened as a result of the government’s neglect.
The government owes Rs 13 crore to more than 100 SHGs. The plight of the women associated with these SHGs is heart-wrenching, most of them have taken loans and pawned their gold to sustain the operations, so that the school children do not suffer. The women speaking to O Heraldo spelled out the financial crisis they face to pay for groceries, fuel, transport, etc, in addition to repaying the loans that have been borrowed from banks and financial institutions.
Having come so far, the government’s plan to undertake a pilot project and hand over the supply of mid-day meals to around 5,000 students in parts of Canacona and Ponda to organisations from outside the State, is not a welcome step.
There is a need to understand that most not-for-profit NGOs are able to sustain their financial implications and provide better facilities in comparison to the SHGs of Goa due to the overwhelming financial support from the public and private sector companies under the corporate social responsibility (CSR), in addition to the government funding. In contrast, the SHGs are totally dependent on government funding under the scheme. Thus, the least the government could do is timely payments to these SHGs, which would ensure better service and quality food for children.
It is important for the government to remember that during the current economic and unemployment crisis, the SHGs catering to the students in Goa are adding to the GDP and the economic status of the State, apart from generating employment for women and supporting single mothers financially. Taking a proactive step in supporting women, the State government should propose to the Economic Development Corporation (EDC) to come forward with an exclusive business enhancement financial scheme for these SHGs whose members are now forced to seek gold loans.
The government should withdraw the idea of inviting entities from outside the State and support Goan women in providing better quality food by engaging the latest technology, which will surely pave the way forward in empowering SHGs and the women associated with them.
