PANAJI: Maintaining that instructions have been issued to all the heads of the schools to involve mothers of the students for tasting the mid-day meals provided under the mid-day meal scheme before serving it to the students, the education department stated that cooks-cum-helpers engaged for the scheme would also be trained by the Institute of Hotel Management, while all the school headmaster/ headmistress will be given one-day training regarding sensitisation of the mid-day meal scheme.
“A total of 1,501 educational institutions in Goa are actually providing mid-day meals students,” the DoE further informed, pointing out that however, the Parent Teachers Associations in only seven schools have proper arrangement for washing vegetable, pulses, grains and cleaning used utensils. “Furthermore, all these schools have no dining rooms but verandas, which are used as eating place,” the department added, revealing that all 1,501 schools have hand washing facilities.
“A provision of law already exists in the state, in case a person is found guilty of not properly implementing various aspects of this scheme, and that there is no need to bring any law in force for ensuring its better implementation,” the department stated, maintaining that the quality of mid-day meals served to children is monitored on daily basis by the heads of institutions, senior most teachers, and a member of the parent teachers association.
This information is provided by the department of education in a state proforma about the mid-day meal scheme.
Director of education G P Bhat said department has made available this information on the proforma as per the instruction of the Supreme Court.
Earlier this year, the apex court had asked all state governments and Union territories to upload information including the total number of students getting the benefit of the mid-day meal scheme, within three months on their website. A bench headed by Chief Justice J S Khehar had also approved the proforma for providing these details.
Bhat said the information as regards the scheme implemented in Goa would be constantly upgraded in the proforma.
The information in this proforma for Goa state replies in affirmative to a question as to whether any safety specification has been formulated for construction of kitchen-cum-storeroom for running the scheme, further adding, “However, work (of providing the mid-day meals) has been entrusted to the self-help groups, mahila mandals and PTAs.
It is also informed that a system has been established for continuous and uninterrupted flow of foodgrains from the Food Corporation of India to all eligible schools and educational centres in Goa through these SHGs, mahila mandals and PTAs.
“As per the guidelines of the National Programme of Nutritional Support to Primary Education, 2006, the minimum quantity of vegetables (in the mid-day meals provided to students in Goan schools) is 50/ 75gm, pulses is 20/ 30 gm and food grain (wheat) is 100/ 150 gm. Its implementation is ensured by inspecting the mid-day meal scheme implemented in schools,” the information in the proforma informed, pointing out that state-level training programmes for SHGs engaged for the scheme are organised in collaboration with Goa Collage of Home Science.
Speaking about the scheme monitoring mechanism in schools, the department stated that the meal served to the students is tasted by the teacher and PTA members before serving it to the students.
“If the quality/quantity is not as per the prescribed norms, the meal is rejected immediately. Besides, the various officers/ officials inspect/ monitor the mid-day meal when they are on tour,” the information mentioned, adding that the block resource persons/cluster resource persons under the Sarva Shiksha Abhiyan inspect the mid-day meal, the kitchen and surrounding area of kitchen of SHG, mahila mandal, and PTA.
The district collector, mamlatdar, joint mamlatdar and health officers also monitor the mid-day meal scheme.
The proforma information finally stated that the samples of mid-day meals are collected during inspections and analysed for their nutritive contents of calories and proteins.
“Furthermore, the samples of mid-day meals are collected from schools as well as self-help group, mahila mandal, and parent-teacher association and examined in the laboratory of the Goa College of Home Science for the nutritive content of calories and proteins by weighment method,” it notes.