Midday meal deaths: BJP expresses concern, suggests new scheme

NEW DELHI: BJP Youth wing president Anurag Thakur today wrote to Prime Minister Manmohan Singh expressing concern over the mid-day meal deaths and suggested that a new scheme be launched under which weekly or monthly rations are given to families of the students.

Thakur has pointed out in his letter that teachers should be removed from "non-academic work" like cooking of mid-day meals and focus on their primary job, teaching.

"It was not surprising that three lakh school teachers in Bihar had called for a boycott to the mid-day meal scheme," he said.

Sharing his own experiences, Thakur said during his visits to his Lok Sabha constituency Hamirpur in Himachal Pradesh he had observed that mothers were the most reliable source of sumptuous meals.

Thakur has advised the Prime Minister that children be given a weekly or monthly food ration which can be cooked at home and brought to school.

"This would ensure not only quality but will also take away the onus on state governments for its delivery," he said.

The Bhartiya Janata Yuva Morcha leader also suggested that till this is done, nutritionists and food regulators need to be inducted in the programme at all levels with proper health monitoring of the children.

Thakur emphasised that food storage at school level must receive greater attention with appropriate storage and disposal bins.

"Central government must step back from micro-managing big schemes and instead focus on monitoring outcomes. This would be a welcome step in that direction," Thakur said.

He expressed hope that the Prime Minister would take personal interest in this matter and act swiftly to ensure that such a tragedy does not occur again.