Noon meal staff attached to government primary and upper primary schools are able to heave a sigh of relief after the start of offline classes, against the backdrop of the threat of COVID pandemic subsiding, as they find supplying cooked food is more convenient than providing dry provisions to students.
But, they are now confronted with another problem of spending from their own pockets due to the delay in financial sanction for purchase of green gram and chick peas.
During the COVID lockdown period when the schools had to be closed, the noon meal staff were entrusted with the task of calculating the requirement of rice and dal for working days for every student and distributing the same to their families.
A child in primary class is entitled to 100 gm rice and 40 gm dal on every working day. A student in upper primary is provided with 150 gm rice and 56 gm dal per day.
"The elders in the family used to come and collect the dry provisions. Many used to scold and even curse us complaining that the quality of rice and dal was poor. Not all realise that we can distribute only from the stock made available to us by the Noon Meal Department, Rajendran, a senior functionary of Tamil Nadu Noon-Meal Employees Union, said.
A section of parents had even complained directly to the Noon Meal department about the poor quality, and they had apparently been told that the consignments are being received from the Tamil Nadu Civil Supplies Corporation. The authorities in the TNCSC are understood to have explained that the rice meant for noon meal scheme is provided by the Central and State governments.
"The reason for poor quality of rice and dal lies elsewhere and we end up bearing the brunt of anger of the parents," Mr. Rajendran lamented.
According to school heads, the children have, of late, become quite conscious of the quality of food they are provided with.
The noon meal staff, on their part, have made sure that the children are not denied the nutrition in their meals, and have paid out of their pockets for purchase of green gram and chick peas. They had been asked to do so with an assurance that the amount they spend now will be settled shortly. A cause for solace is that palm oil has been supplied in time for cooking purpose.
"We know full well about the predicament of the noon meal staff. But, we are awaiting a written instruction from the Noon Meal Department for sanction of funds for green gram and chick peas," a Block Development Officer said requesting anonymity.
