Mid-day meal scheme faces teething troubles in Nawanshahr

  • 22/09/2008

  • Indian Express (Chandigarh)

Nawanshahr, September 22 Complaints regarding the packed midday meal, launched by Punjab Education Minister Upinderjit Kaur on September 16 in Nawanshahr district, have been pouring in almost from day one. Sources reveal that hundreds of schools are missing the delivery of packed food daily in the district. Records of the Education Department reveal that from September 17 to 20, food could not reach over a hundred schools in the district. The information for September 22 is yet to be compiled by the authorities. Sources add that two schools in the district received packed food for just one day in the last seven days. School authorities in Balachaur and Mubarakpur say that in the last week, they received food only on September 18. Daily, the children have been leaving school disappointed, after waiting for food. Interestingly, both schools are within four kilometers from the kitchen established for preparing packed food schools in the entire districts. A common kitchen to prepare midday meals was set up in Barnala village. An NGO, Stri Shakti, has been given the task of preparing food. When contacted, Ashok Mehta, District Co-ordinator of Sarav Shiksha Abhiyan, who is also looking after the midday meal scheme, said,