By Sept,NGO to quit providing midday meals in six districts

Stri Shakti began working in Punjab in September 2008,providing midday meals to 1.61 lakh students in 2,350 government schools in Nawanshahr,Fazilka and Ferozepur districts after cooking them in centralised kitchens. Around two years ago,three more districts — Moga,Sangrur and Mohali — were given to the NGO. Now it provides meals to 18,000 students of 100 schools in these three districts.

The contract was awarded to the NGO by the Punjab government in 2008 on annual basis. The contract of Ferozepur and Fazilka schools were to be renewed on August 15,but the NGO wrote to the DGSE’s office saying it does not want to continue the service after August 15.

“We have doubts that if we still supply the food,there are some antisocial elements or some persons who may create problems which may affect the health of the children,” said the letter. After the Bihar tragedy — where 23 children died last month after eating midday meal — the NGO said it was wary of local opposition in Ferozepur,sources said.

When contacted,the NGO’s general manager Gavanmeet Singh said that some persons in the administration and education department in Ferozepur district wanted to ruin their image. “We have been in Punjab for the past five years and no untoward incident has ever happened. We have never pressurised the government for payments,which used to got delayed by five-six months at a time,” he said. The NGO will continue its midday meal services in the remaining districts till September.

Prabhacharan Singh of General Management Mid Day Meal Cell in DGSE office confirmed they were making alternative arrangements for midday meals from August 16.