The Aam Aadmi Party slammed the BJP government after nearly 1,800 Canacona students have been deprived of the midday meal facility from October 1. AAP also threatened to embark on an indefinite hunger strike if the government didn’t fix this matter before the Diwali vacations.
AAP leaders protested in front of the Directorate of Education on Friday, demanding Food Security Allowance for 1800 students who have not been provided with midday meals. AAP urged the Directorate of Education to take appropriate action against this issue.
AAP Goa Unit President Adv. Amit Palekar lashed out at the finance department for questioning the proposal for increasing midday meal rates submitted by Directorate of Education.
According to Palekar, the government has fixed a rate of Rs 6.11 for Classes I to IV and Rs 7.45 for Classes V to VIII per student since 2014. “Vegetables, oil, and pulse prices are all skyrocketing. How the finance department expects the midday meal will be provided in accordance with the 2014 fixed rate”, Palekar questioned.
Palekar further said, “Self Help Groups used to provide bhaji pao, sheera, khichdi, and pulao dishes, but this year the department of education amended the menu to include idlis, bhaji, pulao, chickpeas, or moong, while pao was substituted with chapatis. As a result, the prices of all these things have gone up, making it unprofitable for SHGs to continue providing the service at the going cost”.
Sandesh Telekar Dessai, vice president of the AAP, stated that he and his team attempted to remedy this issue by approaching numerous departments, but they received no answer. The Schools are going to reopen from 7th of November, if the government fail to resolve this matter then AAP will go on indefinite hunger strike.
AAP to launch helpline number for parents to register complaints about midday meal facilities
AAP announced that the it is going to launch a helpline number for parents to register complaints about midday meal facilities. Cecille Rodrigues, national vice president of the AAP Youth Wing, urged parents to call on this helpline and file a complaint if their child is not receiving a nutritious midday meal.
According to AAP Vice President Valmiki Naik, the BJP government is using this strategy of tampering with midday meals to discourage attendance and enrolment, by which it can justify shutting down govt schools and handing them over to friends of BJP.
