Primary School Students Stage Dharna In BDO Office For Poor MDM In Odisha’s Mayurbhanj

Baripada: The students of a primary school staged a dharna in BDO office in protest against poor quality of mid-day meal in Odisha’s Mayurbhanj district on Monday.

According to sources, around 120 students of Binod Bihari Primary School in Rasgovindpur block of the district turned up for the mid-day meal (MDM) in the afternoon. As per the norms, the students from lower classes were first served the meals.

After their turn came, 15 students of Classes VI and VII sat down with their plates in the dining space. But the members of the self-help group (SHG), which is in charge of the MDM, served only dal on the plates. When the students enquired about other items of the meal, the cook and her assistant said dal and curry had been exhausted.

An argument ensued between the students and the cook over scarcity of food for some time. Neither any teacher nor the headmaster of the school intervened in the matter, the sources said.

Enraged over the matter, the minor students, holding the plates with only rice, walked for nearly one and a half km to the BDO office and staged a dharna there. As the BDO was not present in the office, the block education officer (BEO) talked to the agitated students.

The students alleged that it was not for the first time that they were served insufficient food. “The SHG engaged in supply of the MDM has cut down the ration for preparation of the meal for some time. Instead of 3 kg of dal, it is supplying 1 kg. Similarly, the quantity of other items has been brought down,” they said.

The BEO assured the students of taking up their issue with the BDO and try to resolve the issue.