After Bihar, Goa and some parts of Odisha, students in Sambalpur town are now afraid of the mid day meals (MDM) and have decided to skip it. Their guardians, even those who are poor, have also strictly advised their wards to avoid it what they dub as ‘death meal’ or ‘poisonous meal’. “It is better to be hungry than die after eating,” said a guardian.
“It is a fact that like poor patients going to the Government hospitals, most of the students from the poor and the lower middle class families go to the Government schools. mid day meals gives them nutrition support and hence they very much need it, while eggs in the meal are an added attraction. But under the present scenario, they are allergic to the unhygienic mid day meals,” said a headmaster of a school in Sambalpur town.