The food of Mid Day Meal Scheme saved lives of many stranded pilgrims and locals who lost everything in the Uttarakhand disaster.
Many schools located in disaster affected districts had prepared food under the MDMS to feed the students and affected persons. Sarva Shiksha Abhiyan (SSA) State project midday meal scheme joint director in-charge Pravendra Kumar Bisht said this on Friday.
Food grains, spices and pulses allocated under MDMS to these schools were used to prepare food for the affected, he added. At some Government schools which were closed due to summer vacation, food was prepared there for affected persons on the decision of district officer and school management committee members.
The joint director said that the volunteers of school National Service Scheme (NSS) and National Cadet Corps (NCC) had actively participated in preparation of food in the school campus and serving food to the pilgrims and affected local residents. Many schools including GGIC Joshimath, GIC Guptkashi and other schools located in mountainous parts of Uttarakhand were opened till June 20 during summer session. As per the report received from district education officers (basic), four schools in Chamoli district, two in Rudraprayag and four in Uttarkashi prepared food for affected persons.
Chamoli district education officer MS Rawat said that four schools including Government Girls Inter Collage, Joshimath, GIC, Joshimath, Government Primary School Joshimath prepared food for stranded pilgrims and affected local residents from June 17 to June 23 at its campus. These schools were opened till June 20. GIC Pandukeshwar, Chamoli was closed due to summer vacation but food was prepared here for affected persons on the advice of school management committee members. In Rudraprayag district, DEO CN Kala said that two schools GIC Phata and GIC Guptkashi had prepared food for the pilgrims at its campus on the advice of district officer.
Uttarkashi DEO (basic) SP Semwal said that the district officer had ordered to prepare food for pilgrims on allocated food grains and funds of MDMS to the schools. Schools’ expenditure on food will be reimbursed later on. He further said that as per the report received from block education officers, four schools GIC Harshil, GIC Gangori, GIC Manari and GIC Bhatwari had utilised allocated MDMS food grains and funds for preparing food for disaster affected persons.