School students in Assam’s Silchar refused to eat the midday meal served to them by NGOs protesting against its poor quality. Students and teachers also complained that the food is served over two hours late in several schools. While midday meals are usually provided by the Assam government, but it has given the responsibility to non-governmental organisations (NGOs) from November 1.

Following 15 days of protests, the move has been met from midday meal workers. According to the teachers, the quality of the food was so poor, they didn’t serve it to the students. The principal of DNNK School, Paritosh Dey, told The Indian Express, “We have more than 300 students studying in the school but the quantity they sent could only be served to 50. The quality was such that we refused to serve it to our students.” The students also suspected that the food was stale.

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The midday meal scheme provides food students up to Class 8. 

According to Deputy Commissioner of Cachar, Laya Madduri, said she had not received any official complaint about the quality of food but she has directed the food inspector to look into the matter. The authorities did not provide a list of NGOs providing food to the schools from where the complaints were received. 

A worker said that the NGOs are not maintaining hygiene and the food chart, which actually includes soya bean, eggs and other nutritional items were replaced with only rice, dal and aloo bharta (potato curry).

Source: The Indian Express