STAFF REPORTER
GUWAHATI: Finally, Chief Minister Sarbananda Sonowal had to intervene in the midday meal fracas and bar the NGOs engaged in the scheme from providing meal to students for a month till the investigation into the allegations against them is over.
Seemingly overriding the decision of Education Minister Siddhartha Bhattacharya, the Chief Minister has asked Food and Civil Supplies Principal Secretary BR Samal to inquire into the allegations of “poor quality and unhygienic food” supplied to the students. The Chief Minister has also said that till completion of the investigation and submission of the report, the respective school authorities will provide the meals.
Since November 1 when the NGOs started supplying midday-meal to students there have been allegations of supply of “poor quality and unsafe food” by the NGOs. Such allegations also came from teachers and guardians of students as well. There have also been incidents of students falling ill in upper Assam reportedly after consuming the midday meals supplied by the NGOs. Besides, there have been protests by cooks and helpers across the State.
The Education Minister was bent on going ahead with the NGOs cooking and supplying the midday meals while making the present cooks and helpers to be just distributors of the supplied food. He even went on record saying that a force is working behind the scene to malign the NGOs involved in the Midday Scheme.
However, the latest turn of events culminating in some students falling ill allegedly after consuming the supplied midday meals in upper Assam have compelled the Chief Minister to intervene and override his Cabinet Minister’s decision.