- Half a dozen are in serious condition, all the children are undergoing treatment in hospital
Chronicle Reporter, Panna
The attention of the district authorities is being attracted for a long time by publishing news of corruption and arbitrariness in the mid-day meal scheme in the entire district, but due to mutual collusion, no attention is being paid. As a result, the incidents of falling ill after eating a mid-day meal are increasing day by day.
In which 40 children fell ill after eating the mid-day meal and the condition of about half a dozen is said to be serious. On the one hand, the mid-day meal is being prepared arbitrarily by the contractors without caring about the safety and cleanliness of the children. On the other hand, the government also provides food to the children in the schools through School Chalo, so that the parents are not allowed to do anything for the children. Mid-day meal is provided in the school itself to ensure that children do not face any problem or trouble. At the same time, food is given to children in Anganwadis too, but in the race for commission, the coordination or alliance between the contractors and the officers is a tight thread. The officers never form a team and survey them for the mid-day meal. Rarely, in any Anganwadi school etc., the officials inspect how food is provided to the children. From this point, the district officials keep their distance. Due to this, arbitrary distribution of food by the contractors, careless complete kitchen. A major incident has come to light in Vikrampur village on Tuesday, where 40 children fell ill after eating mid-day meal, out of which the condition of eight children is critical and they were taken to Amanganj Community Health Center, from there they were referred to Panna. Treatment of the children is going on, no clarification has come from the school management yet.
Midday meal is transported from many kilometers away
Whereas the Mid Day Meal Committees will make food arrangements for the children by making a kitchen set within 40 feet of the school Anganwadi area and food will be served to them there. But there are no arrangements like this in the entire district. Mid-day meal is taken in buckets and tanks from many kilometers away. Mid-day meals are delivered to children from many kilometers away. In Anganwadis, kitchen sets have not been seen within 40 feet of any Anganwadi, nor have any such arrangements been made by the committees. Even in schools, kitchen sets have spider webs, dirt without cleanliness, kitchens without paint, food items in the kitchen set itself. It is kept and used only then, no one has yet taken responsibility for this huge negligence. Why no official’s explanation come forward yet? Due to massive corruption, mid-day meals and Anganwadis are flourishing; contractor officials of the committees are keeping children in silence in the district.
