Post News Network
Bhapur, Jan 12: Days after reports on food cooked in toilets and served to patients at the Capital Hospital in Bhubaneswar created a flutter, reports of mid-day meals (MDM) cooked in toilets and served to children in a primary school in Nayagarh district have come to light.
This has defeated the purpose behind the Centre’s much touted Sarva Sikhya Abhiyan which aims at ensuring quality education for all with MDM to check dropout rates.
The latest incident involves the Harijansahi project primary school in Gohiriapada village under Khandapada block.
Food under the MDM scheme is being prepared inside a lavatory and bathroom of the school as the authorities have failed to construct a kitchen for the school.
Sources said the school was established in 2007 with the aim of providing primary education to children especially those belonging to Dalit communities. The school has 52 students on its rolls. However, due to lack of adequate infrastructure classes from I to V are being held in two rooms with only two teachers managing 52 students. The school situated along the road does not even have a compound wall.
A cook, on the condition of anonymity, said the school does not have the right infrastructure and in the absence of
a kitchen room the meals arebeing prepared in toilets.
While crores of rupees are being spent on construction of kitchens in various schools of the state, the indifference of the authorities concerned in developing the school’s infrastructure has surprised many.
Khandapada BDO Kailash Chandra Sial feigned ignorance on the issue, stating that the education department has to decide on the construction of kitchens in the school. BEO Suresh Kumar Das also said the he had no information on the matter but assured that steps would be taken in this regard.
