Don't want NGOs: Midday meal workers stage protest
GUWAHATI: Midday meal workers on Tuesday gheraoed the residence of state education minister Siddhartha Bhattacharya in Guwahati, demanding withdrawal of the government's decision to rope in NGOs for the meal delivery service to government-run schools.
The Assam government has initiated a probe into allegations of "low quality" meals in schools by the NGOs.
The midday meal workers staged the protest in Ulubari, seeking an assurance from Bhattacharya that the workers will be reinstated permanently.
Later, officials from the education department arrived at the spot and called the agitators for talks at the secretariat on Wednesday, following which the protest was called off. Police and paramilitary forces were deployed to maintain law and outside the minister's residence, but, the protest went off peacefully.
"We want the older system of preparation of midday meals in schools. Ever since the task of supplying meals was handed over to NGOs from November 1, the students, teachers and guardians have been complaining about the poor quality of food. There was a vast difference in the fresh food prepared by us in school kitchens and the meal brought to schools by the NGOs from the centralised kitchens. If the minister fails to fulfil our demands, we won't hesitate to gherao the state secretariat," said a leading agitator.
Later, officials from the education department arrived at the spot and called the agitators for talks at the secretariat on Wednesday, following which the protest was called off. Police and paramilitary forces were deployed to maintain law and outside the minister's residence, but, the protest went off peacefully.
"We want the older system of preparation of midday meals in schools. Ever since the task of supplying meals was handed over to NGOs from November 1, the students, teachers and guardians have been complaining about the poor quality of food. There was a vast difference in the fresh food prepared by us in school kitchens and the meal brought to schools by the NGOs from the centralised kitchens. If the minister fails to fulfil our demands, we won't hesitate to gherao the state secretariat," said a leading agitator.
Hundreds of midday meal workers from various districts took part in Tuesday's protests.
As the state government has decided to conduct an inquiry on supply of midday meal in schools through the centralised kitchens run by NGOs, the functioning of such kitchens in 17 districts were put on hold from Monday, and the midday meal workers returned to school kitchens. The workers, however, are apprehensive that the NGOs might get a clearance after the probe.
In the first phase, it was decided to rope in NGOs for supplying midday meals from centralised kitchens in South Salmara Mankachar , Goalpara, Darrang, Dibrugarh, Lakhimpur, Tinsukia, Cachar, Karimganj, Chirang, Kokrajhar, Udalguri, Barpeta, Charaideo, Nagaon, Hojai, Biswanath, and Golaghat districts. The midday meal workers fear that in the other districts too, the NGOs may get licence to supply midday meals in next phases.
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