Team Herald
Canacona: In all, 2,000 students from Canacona taluka had to go on an empty stomach after the main self-help group stopped providing midday meals from October 1 as they found it uneconomical to provide meals at the present rate fixed by the government.
Omkar self-help group president Sandhya Dinesh Dessai stated that self-help groups Surabhi, Astha, Shivam and Omkar were given the contracts of providing midday meals in various schools of Canacona. “Surabhi and Shivam stopped providing meals due to rise in the rates and other technical difficulties after which Omkar group took upon the extended responsibility.
“Earlier the government spent Rs 5.11 per student (from Std I to IV), Rs 6.60 per student
from (Std V to VIII) and pulao, bhaji-pav, sheera and khichdi were the dishes provided then. These rates were slightly revised in 2014 to Rs 6.11 and Rs 7.45, respectively,” said Dessai.
Currently, Aastha and Omkar are the only two groups providing the midday meals in the taluka out of which Omkar has 2900 students registered under them while Aastha has 1700.
“The Education department changed the menu from this year which includes Idlis, pulao, bhaji of chickpeas or mung and pao was replaced with chapatis. The rates of all the cereal grains and bread have increased. We have kept four rented vehicles to supply the orders to the schools on time and have to pay 1000-2000 to each vehicle depending upon the area they cover. Apart from that, I use my personal vehicle to the schools in Mali and Tirwaal area,” added Dessai.
There were 11 women working in the Omkar group who are paid Rs 300 each evryday. Dessai informed that the Education Department had given her the cheque of 11.57 lakh last time while the total expenditure of the group stood at 12.58 lakh.
“Hence we have decided to provide the meals only in the schools from Poinguinim and Loliem panchayats.”
