AGARTALA, Jan 12 (TIWN): The Central Government had notified Mid Day Meal rules on Sep 30th, 2015 enlisting various mandatory infrastructure for the state govts. The National Food Security Act, 2013’s provisions related to welfare schemes included that Mid Day Meal Scheme. Food security was an obligatory theme with it, but here under Tripura Education Dept. food safety has become a joke when it comes about Mid-day-meal. The attitude of mid-day-meal cooks and other officials, including the school authorities are like that students are enjoying the Mid-day-meal at free of cost as a part of charity giving to them. Under the food security allowance it has been said if the Mid-Day Meal is not provided in school on any school day due to non-availability of food grains, cooking cost, fuel or absence of cook-cum-helper or any other reason, the State Government shall pay food security allowance. It has been clearly instructed to all the state govts to take care of the quantity of Food grains as per entitlement of the child; and Cooking cost prevailing in the State. The State Government shall take action to fix responsibility on the person or agency in accordance with the procedure laid down, if mid day meal is not provided in school on school days continuously for three days or at least for five days in a month.

However, instead of helping the mid-day-meal’s proper implementation, the state govt is fully mute about Mid-day meal corruptions. At Dharmanagar in an Anganwadi centre cooked rat was discovered from a child’s plate. Social welfare Minister Bijita Nath, instead of taking any action, rather helped her childhood friend and cook of that Anganwadi Centre Bashanti Rani Nath and saved her from every actions could be taken against her.

Moreover, the kitchen system in Tripura’s Anganwadi Centres and school are just horrible.

State Education Dept’s direct involvement into mid-day-meal scams was proven, when the state govt. sent a vague report about various Agartala based schools to sanction more funds. From 2010-2015, Tripura Govt. spent 336 crore’s of central funds. After that BJP exposed about Govt’s publishing of a wrong report with vague number of students, taking data from the Annual Work Plan & Budget (AWPB) for 2014-15.

 In a press meet, in July month, 2016 BJP said that whereas the number of students were 3,36,400 in the annual report it was shown as 3,44,265 with at least 7856 students more than the actual number of students. In total there are 18 % decrease of students admission under Mid-daymeal scheme was reported by BJP on that time. Apart from BJP allegation, there are also reports of wastage of food grains in state. Food inspector reportedly didn’t collect 471.233 metric ton of food from the go-downs and there are reports of 42.08 metric ton food grain’s wastage in 71 schools.  147 schools have been alleged for irregular supply of mid day meals to students.

Surprisingly from Agartala’s renowned schools like Netaji Subhash Vidyaniketan, Tulsibati and Umakanta School allegation raised for sending vague reports to the Central with maximum number of students under mid-day-meal, whereas a less number of students in actual take mid-day-meal there.

Apart from that just before few months it was seen that from a poisonous wells mid-day-meal water was supplied at an Anganwadi Centre at Dharmanagar Dean-pasa.