JAIPUR: Midday meals at most government schools in the state have been affected due to inadequate supply of dry ration.
The most recent cases are from government schools in Jaipur’s Jamwa Ramgarh block. The number of ration packets received by these schools was less than that of the number of students enrolled. This has resulted in irregularities and parents have started complaining.
Motilal Meena, a government school principal in Jamwa Ramgarh’s Aandhi, said contacted the authorities after they received fewer packets. “We have been asked to postpone the distribution of midday meals till all packets are delivered. The decision has been taken to keep the parents from protesting,” said Meena. Many such principals from across Rajasthan have written to block education officer regarding the issue. Some schools received ration only for 50 per cent of the students.
Narayan Singh Sisodia, president of Rajasthan School Evam Panchayati Raj Shikshak Sangh said, “This is a serious issue as parents are protesting. It has become a big headache for the principals to decide whether they should continue with the meals. The government must resolve this problem soon.”
However, midday meal commissioner Bhanwar Lal said the problem had arisen due to a technical glitch.
“Ration is being supplied for July 2020 to March 2021. Students who were enrolled in July 2020 were taken into consideration, but the ones who took admission later are yet to be considered for the distribution,”said the commissioner.
New orders were placed to add these remaining of students and their ration will be supplied within a week, he said.
