Centralised
Kitchen in 2784 Schools covering 2,69,044 children under Mid-Day-Meal in Odisha
In
November’2001, while hearing a writ petition (WPC 196/2011) filed by PUCL,
Rajasthan, the Supreme Court directed the Govt. of India, State Govt. and Union
Territories to implement the Mid-Day-Meal scheme by providing every child in
every govt. school and govt. assisted primary schools with a prepared MDM with
a minimum content of 300 calories and 8-12 gram proteins each day of school for
minimum 200 days. On 20 April 2004, the
SC directed that infrastructure for the implementation of the MDMS be developed.
The Central Government was directed to make provisions for the construction of
cooking sheds and further directions
made to ensure better attempts towards provision of drinking water
facilities etc. The Court also directed that preference must be given to
dalits, SCs and STs in the appointment of cooks and helpers. It signifies that
MDM to be implemented in decentralised manner involving all section of people
like parents, woman SHGs, teachers etc.
But
in Odisha, the State has handed over a number of schools to private bodies
mostly corporate-backed Religious Institutions
like Akshaya
Patra Foundation and Nandi Foundation to provide MDM to the children.
But the experience of Meals
served by these organisations, its quality, manner of
preparation and supply of food
has given negative picture in
the state. There is huge complaints by parents and children against the quality
of food served by these organisations.
There was national study done by some researchers like
Lana Whittaker, PHD scholar, University of Cambridge about
the preparation of food, meals served by Akshaya Patra Foundation in other
states. In decentralised kitchens, onion and garlic being
used. But Akshaya Patra does not use these ingredients for religious reasons.
It is disconcerting that in a secular country, an organisation in partnership
with the government is being allowed to dictate the menu according to
the religion of its own promoters. For every Rs 7.40 Akshaya Patra spends
per lunch per day, the government provides Rs 4.38. It is not clear why
religion should be part of this government food security scheme.
More detrimentally, the NGO’s religious
beliefs are also preventing the inclusion of eggs in the scheme in Rajasthan,
Odisha and Karnataka. Though there is
demand for eggs, Akshaya Patra foundation does not serve. Odisha experience shows that many times food served
by these organisations are found
inadequate, tasteless and inedible. The children are seen throwing it
without consuming. It has also squeezed rural employment for women who were
appointed as cook and helper in the schools.
The National Food Security
Act stipulates that centralized kitchens can only operate in urban areas.
But the Akshaya Patra and MANNA
Foundation supplies food in different blocks of Puri, Keonjhar, Nayagarh districts in violation of the Act. This means that
food is kept in containers for many hours before it is consumed raising food
safety concerns. The model also prevents community participation.
RTI
Application was submitted to the PIO, Dept. of School and Mass Education, Govt.
of Odisha seeking information about number of Schools covered under centralised
kitchen and name of the organising
running centralised kitchen and supplying meals
under Mid-Day-Meal scheme. The PIO
supplied the information on dated 7.12.15 which is as follows.
|
Name of NGO
|
District
|
Block/ Municipality/NAC
|
Schools
|
Children
|
|
Akshaya Patra Foundation
|
Puri
|
Puri Municipality
|
75
|
11,651
|
|
Puri Sadar
|
205
|
16,218
|
||
|
Satyabadi
|
166
|
11,822
|
||
|
Gop ( Decentralised )
|
216
|
12,301
|
||
|
Total
|
4
|
662
|
51992
|
|
|
Nayagarh ( Decentralised)
|
Bhapur
|
160
|
12,360
|
|
|
Khandapada
|
180
|
14,308
|
||
|
Total
|
2
|
340
|
26,668
|
|
|
Sundargarh
|
Rourkela Municipality
|
145
|
22,948
|
|
|
Lathikata
|
162
|
17,332
|
||
|
Bisra
|
113
|
10,353
|
||
|
Total
|
3
|
420
|
50633
|
|
|
Bhubaneswar
|
BMC
|
186
|
32,647
|
|
|
Cuttack Municipality
|
229
|
26,407
|
||
|
Total
|
2
|
415
|
59,407
|
|
|
|
Grand Total
|
11
|
1837
|
188347
|
|
MANNA Trust
|
Ganjam
|
Berhampur Municipality
|
134
|
11,364
|
|
Chhatrapur
|
202
|
16,395
|
||
|
Hinjilicut
|
157
|
14,748
|
||
|
Total
|
03
|
493
|
42,507
|
|
|
Keonjhar
|
Keonjhar Municipality
|
270
|
23000
|
|
|
Kalahandi
|
Lanjigarh Municipality
|
184
|
15,190
|
|
|
Grand Total
|
|
56
|
947
|
80,697
|
Pradip Pradhan
M-9937843483
Date- 31.12.15
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