BY TC News Desk
Agartala, July 19, 2023: In a recent incident, the Chief Minister has taken stern action against a school for its negligence in the preparation and management of the mid-day meal of a school in Gomati district. The school authorities have been reprimanded for their lack of discipline in handling the issue. However, despite the warning, irregularities in the mid-day meal preparation have resurfaced, prompting further complaints from the Gandacherra subdivision.
As part of the Vidyajyoti project, the Housing Board had sanctioned funds for the construction of new ‘pucca’ building for Class 12 students in the Gandacherra school. A reputed agency was assigned to execute the construction project. During the construction process, part of the existing mid-day meal kitchen’s structure was inadvertently damaged by the agency’s bulldozer. The agency representative met with the school’s headmaster to discuss the issue, and it was agreed that the damaged portion would be reconstructed.
However, subsequent inspection by the Dumburnagar School Inspector revealed that the damage was not promptly repaired, and the school authorities failed to take appropriate corrective measures. This incident was brought to light on Wednesday when the school was visited by Thaisa Mog, the Gandacherra Subdivisional Education Officer. During the inspection, Mog noticed that a portion of the mid-day meal kitchen’s roof, approximately five to six feet wide, was still in a broken state.
The agency was requested to build a temporary shed for the mid-day meal kitchen, but they refused, stating that such construction was not feasible without proper approval. The issue has now been escalated to the district authorities, and unless a suitable solution is reached, the mid-day meal service for the school’s 400 students may remain disrupted.
The incident has raised concerns among locals, and questions are being raised about the reasons behind the headmaster’s negligence in overseeing the agency’s work. An in-depth investigation is expected to shed light on the circumstances that led to the damaging of the mid-day meal kitchen.
In the meantime, the school authorities have requested the agency to expedite the repairs to ensure that the mid-day meal service can resume without further delay. However, without financial assistance from the government, rebuilding the damaged kitchen may pose a challenge. An inquiry into the agency’s conduct and the headmaster’s role in the matter is imperative to ascertain accountability and prevent such incidents in the future.
