OMM’s ops suspended; Shri Mallikarjun PTA meet today to discuss issue
TEAM HERALD
bureau@herald-goa.com
CANACONA: Over 2,000 students from different schools in Canacona had to go without mid-day meals on Friday, after the Education department reportedly suspended the mid-day meals supplied by Omkar Mahila Mandal (OMM) and efforts were underway to get a new supplier.
In a related development, Centro Promoter de Instrucao (CPI), the management of Shri Mallikarjun Vidyalaya, has also decided not to serve mid-day meals to their students even if it is supplied by another mid-day meal supplier, till parents decide on the issue. An emergency meeting of the school PTA has been convened on Saturday to discuss the matter.
According to sources at Canacona ADEI, the OMM, which supplies mid-day meals to various schools in Canacona, has been asked to stop operations following the food poisoning incident at Shri Mallikarjun Vidyalaya on Thursday.
OMM had two months contract to supply mid-day meals to over 2,000 students of various primary (23), upper primary (11), middle (3) and high schools (8), located in municipal areas, besides Poinguinim and Polem.
All the students from these schools had to go without mid-day meals on Friday and will not have mid-day meals till the Education department appoints a new contractor/supplier.
“It may take 3-4 days before a new contractor is appointed as two other major suppliers in the taluka refused to take the responsibility,” said sources at Canacona ADEI.
ADEI Canacona reportedly informed the schools concerned and appealed to the parents to provide tiffins to their children, till the government finalizes the new mid-day meal contractor/supplier.
According to sources, OMM was asked to supply mid-day meals to about 220 out of 350 eligible students from Std V to VIII of Shri Mallikarjun Vidyalaya, while the remaining students were not willing to avail the facility.
There are two other mid-day meals suppliers, Astha Self Help Group and Sauribhi Self Help Group.
Speaking to Herald, CPI Secretary Omkar Dessai informed that the committee has decided not to accept or allow mid-day meals to their students neither from OMM nor from any other supplier till parents decide on the issue and an emergency meeting of PTA has been convened on Saturday.
“After all, the parents have to be satisfied as there are lots of concerns raised by parents following Thursday’s incident. So we will take an overall view before allowing the mid-day meals in our school complex,” said Dessai.
Dessai denied allegations that mid-day meals were not tested by the school teachers. “One teacher and the women responsible to serve mid-day meals to the students regularly taste the food before serving to the students. However, it becomes difficult to get the food tasted by a parent, as no parent is regularly available in the school premises,” added Dessai.
When asked about rumours of a possible ‘sabotage’ in the food poisoning incident, Dessai declined to comment in the matter till the findings by Food and Drugs Administration (FDA) were made known to the CPI. “We cannot comment on it. Let the FDA report come first,” stated Dessai.
