Acting on a petition that a mere Rs4 has been given for midday meal (MDM) per student in the schools while compared to that of the prisoners of the State who are entitled to get the meal at Rs30 per head, the Odisha Human Rights Commission (OHRC) has asked the School and Mass Education Department to take necessary steps in this regard.
The petition was transferred to the OHRC by the National Human Rights Commission (NHRC). Angul-based Human Rights Watch secretary Sangita Swain had moved NHRC seeking its intervention in the matter. later the NHRC transferred the case to the OHRC for necessary action.
On June 17, the OHRC directed the School and Mass Education Department Commissioner-Cum-Secretary to take appropriate action on price hike of mid-day meals.
“Government is providing MDM to attract the students for education. But it has been allocating Rs4 per student for MDM for which poor quality of foods are beings served to the students due to hike prices of essential commodities. At the same time a provision of Rs 30 is entitled per prisoner for meal,” Swain contended. The petitioner urged the commission to take immediate step for enhancement of the MDM meal.