Daringbadi: The steep rise in egg price has snatched nutritious food from the poor children’s plates at the mid-day meal scheme.
This comes at a time when the State government has recently urged the Centre to include Class IX and Class X students of all government schools in the mid-day meal (MDM) scheme to ensure nutritious food.
The main objective of MDM scheme is to encourage children, belonging to disadvantaged sections, to attend school more regularly and provide them free and nutritious food. It is also aimed at improving nutritional level and student attendance in government-run schools.
However, the steep rise in egg price has defeated the very purpose of MDM scheme. Many schools have stopped inclusion of eggs in MDM. They only serve potatoes and dalma with rice, sources said.
For example, Sujamaju High School under Partamaha panchayat of Daringbadi block in Kandhamal district has stopped providing eggs to students for the last of couple of weeks, according to reports. As per rule, the students are supposed to get eggs every Wednesday and Saturday in a week. However, the rule seems to have been put aside by the school authorities.
Built years back, the school has 179 students from Class I to Class X. Out of 179 students, only 143 students used to get MDM in the school. As the students are not given eggs, many have stopped coming to school. On the other hand, around 200 children residing in the hostel are given eggs.
This discrimination has outraged the locals who raised questions about eggs not being given to their children. They decided to call a meeting in the village and lodge a complaint with the education department.
The locals complained that since the school is in an inaccessible area, its authorities are getting away with irregularities. The problems faced by the students remain within the walls of the school as no government official visits it as the school is located in an interior area. They called on the administration to intervene.
When contacted, the school committee president Ajit Kumar Pradhan confessed the school is not providing eggs due to high price. He cited lack of school funds for not providing eggs. Instead, they bring a few eggs and mix them with dalma and serve it to students.
However, the school BRCC, Subasini Digal, said she would launch a probe and take action. Even as the egg prices have gone up, the government will pay to schools, so they should continue providing eggs to children, she added. Action will be taken against the school authorities if they cite the egg price and deprive students of eggs, she further stated.
District Collector Brundha D ordered an inquiry and action against those found guilty. PNN
