Mid-day meal does not interest many

Hyderabad: The Vigilance and Enforcement officials who have been probing corruption the mid-day meals across the state have found that as many as 1 lakh students are not interested in the meals in Ranga Reddy district.

Officials have also found a discrepancy between attending students and those who are taking the mid-day meals.

After verifying records of mid-day meals, school attendance, quality in construction works of toilets and school complexes, the vigilance department has recommended Ranga Reddy officials to implement bio-metric systems in schools where the mid-day meal scheme is implemented.

An official source from the department said that several teams, during their visits had found wastage of food in most schools and a discrepancy in the number of students who were taking the mid-day meals and the attendance.

“The effort was put in all the districts. Particularly in Ranga Reddy district, it was found that most students were absent in all schools and hostels.

We have asked district officials to implement bio-metric systems as early as possible in all the schools and hostels for both students and teachers. We found excess PDS rice in some schools and at the same time there were shortages at other schools in the district,” the source said.

Apart from mid-day meals, the V&E department focused on the construction of toilets, budget releases to schools and expenditures and constructions of school complexes in KGBV schools, Sarva Shiksha Abhiyan (SSA) and Urban Residential Schools.

“Verification of budget sanctions and expenditures is being continued and will end in a week,” the source added. Based on the recommendations made by the department, Ranga Reddy officials have been implementing a daily SMS system, which gives details of students’ attendance, absent teachers and mid-day meals to higher officials.

Joint collector-II Amrapali Kata said that the SMS system was started on February 1 and it would be implemented in all the schools across the district by February 15.

SMS system in district to know student details
As per the directions of Ranga Reddy district collector M. Raghunandan Rao, the education department is implementing the SMS system in the Ranga Reddy district to know the daily details of students’ attendance and mid-day meals served to the students.

Officials have introduced a number specifically for the purpose (73311 42115) and headmasters and headmistresses have been sending messages since February 1; it will be implemented in all schools across the district by February 15.

Headmasters/ headmistresses will have to send details of attending students, absentees and students on leave in three categories — class one to to five, six to eight and nine to ten — along with the details of teachers’ attendance in the first hour as per the school timings.  

Based on the attendance details, higher officials will guide the concerned school heads for preparation of mid-day-meals. The SMS system will also require the number of the students who are taking mid-day meals from each school in the district.

Teachers do not want SMS system
The Joint Action Committee of Teachers’ Organisation has threatened to boycott special classes for SSC students if the Ranga Reddy administration doesn’t withdraw its decision on the SMS system.

State general secretary of the Progressive Recognised Teachers’ Union M. Chennaiah told this newspaper that it was not the right time to implement such decisions.

“It is the time for revision for the upcoming SSC and final examinations. The decision of implementing the SMS system will disturb special classes and revisions,” he said.

Mr Chennaiah said that more than 350 schools in the district were being run by single teachers. “How can they handle classes and send SMS on the strength along with attendance details? The decision of the SMS system is simply creating confusion among teachers. The government can implement it from the next academic year,” he said.

Ranga Reddy joint collector-II Amrapali Kata said the system would not disturb the other activities of teachers, including revision or special classes.

“Sending an SMS may take one to two minutes, which will not disturb any headmaster or headmistress. Each SMS may cost Rs 1, and Rs 220 in an academic year. The government must implement the system,” she said.