The mid-day meal scheme by which, the children studying in schools all over India, are assured of a square meal during their forenoon recess has come under intense scrutiny of the public and the media thanks to the murky goings on behind the programme.
I'd like to go back in time and trace the beginning of this noble scheme. I'd like to believe that it was introduced, not as another electoral gimmick, but as a genuine thrust to fulfill the following requirements:-
(a) To ensure that no child in India went hungry.
(b) All children would be provided a scrumptious, nutritious and clean food.
(c) The children would get motivated to attend school and the parents would ensure their attendance.
(d) Since the food was prepared from a single source within the school, there was no disparity in the
quality and did not bring to fore the economic backgrounds that each child came from.
(e) By breaking bread together, the children developed the bond of togetherness. The loyalty to their
institution was a consequent result.
(f) Education for all, root out illiteracy and thereby, ensure an all inclusive growth.
For the scheme to succeed, the following actions were crucial:-
(a) Close monitoring of the right quality and quantity of the resources that were flowing in.
(b) The cooks and the food handlers were periodically checked for cleanliness and hygiene.
(c) A core team drawn from the school's management/staff, the parents and the students to closely
take stock of the day to day activities, take in suggestions and provide the necessary course
corrections from time to time.
(d) A strict accounting and audit of the resources by another team - drawn from the same mix as
mentioned above - to ensure scrupulous use of the resources.
But alas, the middlemen, the touts and the fraudsters had easily found their way into the programme and have been merrily making a fast buck at the expense of the unsuspecting children. And the result is there for everyone to see - the media has only been able to touch upon a tip of the iceberg of corruption - which is disgusting and unacceptable. So you have:-
(a) Substandard food grains and absence of essential ingredients.
(b) Maggot and worm infested food stuff(the television grab showing the rotten eggs that were gonna
be used in a school in Tamilnadu, angered me to no end let alone the aversion that it's caused!)
(c) Unimaginably unhygienic conditions where food is prepared.
(d) No one responsible or accountable for its flawless execution and smooth conduct.
(e) Ever increasing cases of children falling sick and as in the latest case in Bihar, death of innocent
children.
Tailpiece.
The perpetrators of the crime need to be rounded up and brought to book as they're the worst scum in this world, stealing food from the children's plates. Don't they deserve the ultimate punishment?
I'd like to go back in time and trace the beginning of this noble scheme. I'd like to believe that it was introduced, not as another electoral gimmick, but as a genuine thrust to fulfill the following requirements:-
(a) To ensure that no child in India went hungry.
(b) All children would be provided a scrumptious, nutritious and clean food.
(c) The children would get motivated to attend school and the parents would ensure their attendance.
(d) Since the food was prepared from a single source within the school, there was no disparity in the
quality and did not bring to fore the economic backgrounds that each child came from.
(e) By breaking bread together, the children developed the bond of togetherness. The loyalty to their
institution was a consequent result.
(f) Education for all, root out illiteracy and thereby, ensure an all inclusive growth.
For the scheme to succeed, the following actions were crucial:-
(a) Close monitoring of the right quality and quantity of the resources that were flowing in.
(b) The cooks and the food handlers were periodically checked for cleanliness and hygiene.
(c) A core team drawn from the school's management/staff, the parents and the students to closely
take stock of the day to day activities, take in suggestions and provide the necessary course
corrections from time to time.
(d) A strict accounting and audit of the resources by another team - drawn from the same mix as
mentioned above - to ensure scrupulous use of the resources.
But alas, the middlemen, the touts and the fraudsters had easily found their way into the programme and have been merrily making a fast buck at the expense of the unsuspecting children. And the result is there for everyone to see - the media has only been able to touch upon a tip of the iceberg of corruption - which is disgusting and unacceptable. So you have:-
(a) Substandard food grains and absence of essential ingredients.
(b) Maggot and worm infested food stuff(the television grab showing the rotten eggs that were gonna
be used in a school in Tamilnadu, angered me to no end let alone the aversion that it's caused!)
(c) Unimaginably unhygienic conditions where food is prepared.
(d) No one responsible or accountable for its flawless execution and smooth conduct.
(e) Ever increasing cases of children falling sick and as in the latest case in Bihar, death of innocent
children.
Tailpiece.
The perpetrators of the crime need to be rounded up and brought to book as they're the worst scum in this world, stealing food from the children's plates. Don't they deserve the ultimate punishment?
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