With increasing heat levels, schools are instructed to provide sherbet, buttermilk, ORS etc as part of midday-meal served in government schools everyday. But it has led to backlash from teachers and schools raising questions on who will provide funds for it. Considering anticipated heat-waves, disaster management has issued guidelines for various sectors, including instructions released particularly for the education department. These guidelines ask schools to adjust timetables and try to conduct classes in morning sessions to avoid heat, not to hold physical education classes or outside games and ensuring that fans are working in all classrooms. Among these instructions, schools are also told to provide sherbet, buttermilk, ORS etc. as part of midday meals served in government schools everyday. According to schools, all these instructions are unnecessary as once such a weather warning is issued, schools do take care of their students and conduct classes as per local conditions. While on one side schools complain that such universal guidelines cannot fit schools spread across the state; they are irked over instructions to provide additional items in midday meals without any provision for funding. Vijay Kombe, state president of Maharashtra State Primary Teachers' Association, said, "Schools in Wardha are complaining for the past two months that they have not received rice and pulses required to cook midday meals. Teachers, school principals and school management committees are somehow managing by raising funds from the community. And in this equation, schools are instructed to provide additional items during summers without a word on who will provide funds for it." Former head of Maharashtra School principals Association, Mahendra Ganpule said, "This is just unrequired interference by the government at micro-level of school-functioning. Schools can take required measures based on their local conditions." Schools have highlighted how the government's plan to change the midday meal menu failed because it declared that midday meals will include eggs and sweet dish options. "But only to inform later that they will not provide funds for it. This instruction to provide sherbet or buttermilk during midday meal is on the same lines," said a senior teacher.
