Children studying in the Rajiv Gandhi Navodaya Vidyalay, Jajal have complained about inferior quality of food being served to them and that too not as per the menu. Earlier on Wednesday, the students refused to eat the lunch and protested on the issue which the school management apparently managed to resolve by the evening by ordering that fresh meal be cooked. On Thursday morning, many of the students could not have breakfast which was exhausted after being served to the girl students.
According to sources, dissatisfied due to meals not being served in the residential school as per the menu and the inferior quality of the food items, the students refused to have their lunch on Wednesday. Talks were held between the students and the school administration till late in the evening. later when the school principal Cl Sachan ordered fresh meals to be cooked, the students then agreed to partake of the food. Questionably, on the following day- Thursday, the breakfast was first served to the girl students of the school after which it fell short of requirement when it was the turn of the boy students to be served their breakfast. Some of the students had to make do without breakfast on Thursday as a consequence. Considering this, the principal directed the canteen operator to prepare fully adequate quantity of food considering the number of students in the school.
This resulted in the students having a full lunch in the afternoon. The students allege that they are rarely served food as per the menu stated. They have complained about this issue on many occasions to the principal but their problem had remained unsolved, the students averred. late on Wednesday evening the Narendranagar Tehsildar Harish Chandra Juyal also inspected the school and registered the complaint of the students. It was found that the food was lacking in quality and the bill of the canteen operator had not been cleared. He directed the school administration to improve the meal system and ensure observance of the food menu for students.
Meanwhile, the canteen operator Rajvir Miya said that the school administration had not been able to clear his bills since October last year but he is somehow managing to prepare meals for the children. The issues faced by the canteen operator should also be taken cognizance of, he added.
The Rajiv Gandhi Navodaya Vidyalaya here is being operated from five rooms in total till now with about 40 students. The room in which the students study is where the students have to sleep in the night. Additionally, the children studying here are not given hot water during the winter and have to go to a nearby mountain stream to wash their clothes. The condition of the canteen in this school is also not reported to be satisfactory with two rooms of the canteen being in a dilapidated state. Due to absence of space for the children to sit inside the canteen to have their meals, the children have no option but to eat their food out in the open. Even primary medical provision is not being facilitated effectively in the school, complain the students.