As the school children suffer from hunger with the Uttar Pradesh government failing to release funds for the mid-day meal scheme, the teachers are forced to spend their personal money unable to see the plight of the children.
Responding to the news, the Telangana IT minister Mr. KTR described the situation as a double engine disaster. He said the state government that has money for bulldozers is unable to serve poor and needy children in schools. Of the 9.27 children suffering from malnutrition in the country, 40 percent are in Uttar Pradesh, the minister said sharing the photographs on Twitter.
For three months, the Uttar Pradesh government stopped funds for the mid-day meal scheme in government schools. As a result, the teachers and local Sarpanches were forced to spend their own money. In Sitapur, Gonda, Ghajipur, Lakhimpur Khiri, and other districts, the teachers and headmasters said that the government did not release funds for the last three months. Unable to see the children going hungry, they were contributing rice, oil, pulses, and vegetables. According to them, each district should get Rs 2.5 to Rs 3 crore dues pending with the state government.
The mid-day meal scheme is funded by both Central and state governments. Each student gets Rs 4.97 in primary school and Rs 7.4 in Upper Primary school of which Centre funds 60 percent and the state government has to bear the remaining 40 percent.
One Ajay Singh, a teacher in the Sitapur district said for the BJP government, publicity is the top priority. They are least bothered about school children.
Sarpanch of Rajapur village in Ghajipur district, Ashwini Roy said he was spending his personal money in addition to the contributions being made by the teachers to fund the mid-day meal scheme in his village.
By Gollapudi Srinivasa Rao