Speed Post News Network
New Delhi : The National Human Rights Commission (NHRC) has taken suo motu cognisance of a media report that due to extension of lockdown and closure of schools by the Central and State governments, the poor children are not getting the mid-day meal (MDM). As a result, such children are now forced to work to arrange a meal for themselves. The news report has disclosed the facts pertaining to the Bhagalpur district in Bihar wherein an exercise was undertaken to understand the effects of the pandemic.
Earlier the children were able to get roti, rice, vegetables, dal, soya and eggs in the mid-day meal which has now disappeared and the children are not only starving but getting involved in petty works. On the other side, the District Magistrate has, reportedly, stated that the money is being sent to the account of children or their guardians in lieu of mid-day meal for the period when the schools are shut.
The Commission has issued notices to the Secretary, Department of School Education and Literacy, Union Ministry of Human Resource Development, and the Chief Secretary, Government of Bihar, calling for a detailed report in the matter, within four weeks.
The Commission has observed that 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. The Article 21-A of the Constitution of India has also ensured Education as a fundamental right and the Right of children to Free and compulsory Education Act, 2009, has been enacted by the Parliament. The facility of mid-day meal in the schools has definitely attracted the young children and their parents towards schools to continue their studies. The scheme has also helped children from the poor background to get education and save themselves from the malnutrition, according to an NHRC release.
It has further observed that apparently amid lockdown across the country, the schools are not functional and the mid-day meal has been stopped due to which poor children are forced to do small jobs which not only spoil their health but also push them towards petty crimes and other anti-social activities.
According to the media report, surprisingly, for the students of Class I-V, for a period of 15 days, the amount is calculated Rs. 114.21 per children and Rs. 171.17 for the students studying in the Class VI-VIII. A villager has reportedly stated that the government officials had given every ration card holder 5 kg of rice or wheat, and 1 kg of dal under the Pradhan Mantri Garib Kalyan Ann Yojana (PMGKAY). But for the last many months, nobody has come and we are forced to ask people in the village for food in the absence of mid-day meal. The school children are reportedly now going to collect plastic scrap, waste or to beg to earn Rs. 10-20 for them.
Principal of Shanti Devi Kanya Vidhyalaya, Sultanganj, Bhagalpur, has reportedly stated that until lockdown-2, some money had come which was transferred to bank accounts for the month of April but after lockdown-2 ended on May 3, 2020, nothing has happened at all. The principal who has 265 children in her school has reportedly stated that the amounts declared by the authorities are a joke.