Payment backlog puts Goa’s mid-day meals at risk; child rights’ panel issues notice

The panel said that the government should make every effort to prevent stoppage of providing mid-day meals in Goa's schools

With the prospect of nearly 1.6 lakh primary students being deprived of mid-day meals in the coming days, due to delay on part of the state government in clearing dues owed to food suppliers, the Goa State Commission for Protection of Child Rights on Thursday wrote to the state Director of Education warning that stoppage of the scheme would infringe on children's right to education and food.

The letter to the Director of Education by the chairperson of the Commission Peter Borges also called the situation "worrisome," adding that the government should make every effort to prevent stoppage of providing mid-day meals in Goa's schools.

"The mid-day meal scheme of the government is aimed to provide food to the young school going children ensuring protection of their right to food and education," Borges said in his letter to the top education department official.

Borges also said that if the current impasse between self help groups (SHGs) who provide the mid-day meals and the education department continues over payment of back-dues owed to the former, there were chances that school attendance could drop in the near future.

"First, the children’s Right to Food will be violated, a right which forms an integral part of right to life. Second, the children’s Right to Education as enshrined in article 21-A of the Constitution will be indirectly violated," Borges said.

"The provision of a meal is a key reason that many children attend (or) are able to attend school. If the food is taken away, their attendance is likely (to) fall and their learning will suffer," he added.

The letter from the Commissioner to the Education Department top boss, came days after promoters of SHGs from five sub districts in Goa met the Education Director for clearance of dues owed to them -- in some cases to the tune of Rs 10 lakh -- failing which the groups have warned that they would not be in a position to supply mid-day meals in the near future.

Borges claimed that the objective behind the government's mid-day meal scheme was to provide nutritious food to all the children in schools, in order to improve both their nutritional status and their attendance.

"The mid-day meal scheme has a great transformative potential and should not be perceived as charity, but a right of the children and a civic responsibility," Borges said in his letter, which also gives the education department a notice of 15 days for compliance.