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LATEST NEWS UPDATES | Streamline noon meal scheme before introducing breakfast, say activists -Aditi R

Streamline noon meal scheme before introducing breakfast, say activists -Aditi R

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published Published on Jul 4, 2016   modified Modified on Jul 4, 2016
-The Hindu

Officials are still in the process of finding out requirements across the State

Chennai:
Nearly one month after the State government announced that breakfast will be provided in schools as part of noon meal scheme, officials are still figuring out the modalities of implementation, including the food variety and age group to be covered.

“We are surveying the requirements across the State,” said a senior official from the Department of Social Welfare and Nutritious Meal Programme.

However, activists have raised concerns over the new scheme and instead sought strict regulation and a check on the irregularities in the existing noon meal programme. “We first need to measure the success of the existing scheme before implementing a new one,” said A. Narayanan, Director, CHANGEindia (a centre for advocacy and research).

“There are allegations of corruption in egg procurement because of centralised purchase. There is no regular inspection to check the shortage of manpower. Malnutrition, stunted growth, dropouts, and migration to private schools continue to persist. Why is this happening despite the welfare programmes,” he questioned

P.K. Ilamaran, State President of Tamil Nadu Teachers’ Association, said the noon meal workers were underpaid and the funds allocation to the programme had remained static for a decade now. “Most workers come from faraway places and earn around Rs. 4,500 a month. With the escalating prices, this salary is inadequate. If the new scheme comes into place, their workload will increase and so will that of school headmasters. There needs to be more clarity on this. We do not want them to be overworked and underpaid,” he said. A senior teacher from a Government High School at Anna Nagar here said they were cooking noon meals for 300 children on a woodstove. “We have written to the officials many times but are still waiting to get a gas stove. We are in dire need of it,” the teacher said.

“Breakfast is the most important meal in a day. We hope the Chief Minister’s announcement is implemented soon,” said R.C. Saraswathi, Principal of Government Girls Higher Secondary School, Ashok Nagar, who was counselling a student for not performing well in her tests.

The Hindu, 4 July, 2016, http://www.thehindu.com/news/cities/chennai/streamline-noon-meal-scheme-before-introducing-breakfast-say-activists/article8805493.ece?homepage=true


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