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LATEST NEWS UPDATES | Sonia upset at midday meal lapses

Sonia upset at midday meal lapses

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published Published on Jul 21, 2013   modified Modified on Jul 21, 2013
-The Telegraph


Sonia Gandhi has questioned the laxity in monitoring midday-meal quality in the wake of the deaths of over 20 children in a Bihar school.

The UPA chairperson called Union human resource development (HRD) minister M.M. Pallam Raju yesterday and expressed strong displeasure over the monitoring of the programme on which the Centre spends around Rs 10,000 crore a year, a source said.

She said she was saddened by the death of the kids in Bihar - which officials claimed was a first. In earlier incidents, kids had fallen ill after having the meals.

The concerns have come at a time the Centre has launched efforts to implement the food security law for subsidised grain to large sections of people.

Sonia asked Raju to set up a committee to study quality aspects of the food, storage facilities in schools and issues related to the procurement of grain.

The minister did so today, announcing the committee and tentatively finalising its terms of reference and members. The ministry had set up a committee last December to assess the adequacy of meals and suggest ways to improve quality and safety standards. Its report is yet to come.

It is learnt that the new panel will be headed by Raju and will also comprise N.C. Saxena, a member of the Sonia-headed National Advisory Council (NAC).

Other members could include Shanta Sinha, a former chairperson of National Commission for Protection of Child Rights, and secretaries of some other ministries like women and child development, health and food.

The committee is expected to study the problems and suggest solutions soon.

The programme is among the Congress-led UPA's key welfare schemes, aimed at fighting hunger by providing meals to children on days schools are open.

Several studies have concluded that it has helped improve attendance in schools run by the government or aided by it.

But the incident at the school in Bihar's Saran district has put the spotlight on lack of safety and hygiene. HRD ministry officials said they had earlier alerted the Bihar government about poor quality of food being served in schools in 12 districts, including Saran.

The food must be tasted by at least two adults and a teacher, but many schools don't follow the guideline. The involvement of parents in monitoring the scheme is also minimal, HRD sources said.


The Telegraph, 20 July, 2013, http://www.telegraphindia.com/1130720/jsp/nation/story_17137817.jsp#.Uer3Xazcjco


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