PANJIM: In the wake of the mid-day meal supplier in Canacona taluka discontinuing supply of cooked food to around 1,800 students due to rising prices of commodities, the State Education Department has proposed a hike in the allocation of funds per child, under the scheme.
Students in the interior villages of Canacona have not been given mid-day meals since October 1, after the menu was altered by the government. The mid-day meal supplier has said that the present rates are not sufficient to replace the Goan bread (pao) with chappatis and vegetable idlis, as per the revised menu.
A senior officer told Herald that a proposal has been moved to increase the allocation per child from Rs 6.11 to Rs 8.00 per child in the
pre-primary and primary category and Rs 10 for upper primary schools.
“The government approval is awaited,” the officer said.
The officer said that the Central government has recently increased its share of allocation.
On the Canacona school issue, Director of Education Shailesh Zingade said,”Everything will fall in place by the first week of November, when schools re-open post Diwali vacation”.
Zingade said a local trust, Annapurna Sai Trust, supplying powdered milk to around 1,000 students in Canacona on a pilot basis, has been requested to extend the benefit to these 1,800 students.
