Team Herald
PORVORIM: The Opposition members on Tuesday rushed to the well of the House demanding discussion on the government’s decision to introduce Akshay Patra in the State to provide mid-day meals to school students.
Speaker Ramesh Tawadkar told them that the matter has been listed for Wednesday.
Leader of the Opposition Yuri Alemao said that the calling attention notice signed by six MLAs was not listed for the day and that another calling attention notice which was to be tabled on Wednesday, was listed on Tuesday’s agenda. The Opposition demanded a ruling by the Speaker.
However, Speaker Ramesh Tawadkar told them that he has listed their calling attention notice on Akshay Patra on Wednesday. But the Opposition members demanded discussion on the issue stating that the government was sidelining local Self-Help Groups, who have been supplying midday meals to schools.
It may be recalled that on March 17, Chief Minister Pramod Sawant launched the Akshay Patra’s first hi-tech kitchen in Goa near the Pilerne Industrial Estate. Around 5,000 students studying in Classes IX and X in Calangute, Saligao and Siolim will be provided mid-day meals cooked by Akshay Patra, part of the Iskcon movement.
Sawant said the State government has decided to start their services on a trial basis as their food is of a very high quality.
“Students will get good quality and nutritious food which will promote good physical and mental health,” he had said.
“We plan to slowly increase their food supply to more schools, besides hospitals and other government facilities, but without stopping any of the existing self-help-groups which already supply food. A second kitchen will be started in south Goa also,” he said.
Sawant said it was befitting that the Akshay Patra kitchen, set up at a cost of Rs 3 crore, is starting on the death anniversary of late Manohar Parrikar who was a hostel mate of their founder Madhu Pandit Dasa at IIT, Mumbai.
“Manohar Parrikar always wanted to start an Akshay Patra in Goa and now his dream has come true. Goa is the 18th State where they have a presence,”
he said.
The kitchen has a capacity to provide 5,000 meals within one hour which is useful during disaster management, he added.