India

Students in some schools of Almora district, Uttarakhand devoid of Mid Day meals due to the apathy of concerned departments. Acute water scarcity one of the reasons.

The students of a primary school in Uttarakhand are suffering due to non availability of mid day meals as there is literally no water to cook the meals. Sounds shocking and anguishing at the apathy of the administration towards the school going children devoid of the mid day meals.

According to social activist Govind Gopal of Kumaon, Uttarakhand, a Rajkiya junior school under the jurisdiction of block development Office of DHAULA DEVI, in view of the acute water shortage, the school management is not able to cook the daily mid day meals for the poor and underprivileged students resulting in the village children studying in this school going unfed for the last two days.

The parents of the affected children of Baghpali village informed that the school commenced after several months, just two days ago after being closed due to the pandemic lockdown.

The infuriated parents of the affected children have complained to the senior officers of education department about the non availability of mid day meals to the children of the Rajkiya junior school for the last two days due to the non availability of water.

They demanded that till the students are not served mid day meals, they should be financially compensated by depositing the money inliue of the missed meals in their parents’ accounts.

The president of the school’s management committee Rajan Ram said that the students themselves fetch water from their house daily but it is not sufficient to cook the mid day meals as the quantity of water required is not sufficient.

On can imagine that if students fetch drinking water from their house in these winters how would they dedicate themselves towards their studies said Govind Gopal.

According to the president of the School’s management committee Mr. Rajan, the education as well as the water authorities have been accquainted of their water shortage plight and have been assured of the resurrection of the water services by the education n water departments.

The infuriated parents of the affected students have warned the authorities to resort to direct action like agitation in case their pleas are not met forthwith and the water service not rectified.

Meanwhile, talking to etrending news social activist Govind Gopal said yesterday I had gone to this school . I had told SDM about the problem but she did not take any initiative. Instead of doing her duty she let it happen,.. govt is not working at all. There is big corruption in govt offices. I told her that I would not take food and water till meal is prepared there , but she preferred to play ball and left it to education deptt. However she could have asked education and water supply deptt to fulfil the required demand . Today the media is showing this lapse and she is hiding behind the curtain.

I would request to write about Mid day meal issue. Surprisingly nearby school is also not having water supply and facing same threat…. govt website for Mid Day Meal is flashing such numbers which do not work or get directed to wrong person!!!!!!! is govt serious???? Govind Gopal complained.

It may be recalled that in Uttarakhand about six lakh students are being served Mid Day meals as the state government claims.

During lockdown it was announced that the government will give food safety allowance to the parents of students for not serving them the morning mid day meals during the closure of schools due to the pandemic lockdown.

According to the additional director of Uttarakhand’s Sarv Siksha Abhiyan project, all the schools in the hilly state have been directed to pay daily food safety allowance and rice to guardians of the students.

Pic courtsey HT

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Sunil Negi

Sunil Negi is a senior journalist and president of Uttarakhand Journalists Forum ( Regd). He usually writes on socio political subjects and have been contributing articles in print media for the last several years. Mr. Sunil Negi had been felicitated by All India Achievers conference's Pride of India and excellence awards apart from several other recognitions. He has translated a book on ecological disaster of Uttarakhand of June 2013 and edited and published two editions of Uttaranchal's Who's Who.

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