BY A GT REPORTER
PANJIM: What started with concern over the low quality of mid-day meals soon blew up into an opportunity for different MLAs to air their grievances. In view of the criticism of the Mid Day Meal Scheme Education Minister Atanasio (Babush) Monserrate promised to appoint a Nutritional Officer to check the nutritive value and quality of food served daily.
The points of concern raised pertained to the overall improvement in the Scheme with a view to give a fillip to students hailing from the economically weaker sections. Initiating the debate through a Calling Attention Motion, Fatorda MLA Damodar Naik expressed the need for maintaining a check on the Scheme.
Naik said some students hailing from well-to-do families refrained from consuming the meals. In such cases, Naik sought that the Directorate of Education work out a remedy so that poor students benefit."
Among his concerns was the pathetic rates fixed by the government for such meals -- Rs 3.83 per student per day for primary and Rs 5.32 per student per day for middle school. "When bread alone costs Rs 2.50, the rest of the meal will have to be provided at Rs 1.83," opined Naik.
Intervening the discussion, Mandrem MLA Laxmikant Parsekar said some contractors have outsourced the Scheme to sub-contractors thus compromising the quality of the meal.
Following up the matter, Bicholim MLA Rajesh Patnekar complained that sub-contractors do not have an FDA licence.
Chief Minister Digambar Kamat strongly defended the Scheme, particularly in terms of the hiked rates. According to Kamat, the rates were hiked from Re 1 to Rs 2 with effect from last year. He promised to 'look into' the demand for extending the benefits of the Mid-day Meal Scheme to poor students in unaided schools.
