After midday meal egg row, Bengal eyes Odisha model

Kolkata: The Bengal school education department is looking at the Odisha model of paying an additional amount to schools to buy eggs for midday meals if they choose to, in order to bypass the ongoing controversy.The state administration had last week decided to hand over the responsibility of providing midday meals in state-aided schools to Iskcon, which stated it would not keep any non-vegetarian food, including eggs, on the menu. Critics slammed the decision, calling it an example of the govt pushing down its “agenda,” but many pointed to states like Odisha where eggs are served in school meals despite BJP being in office.Bengal officials on Sunday said they are examining the Odisha model, under which the organisation in charge of the scheme (Iskcon in this case) would continue its work, but school managements would receive extra funds to buy eggs.Officials in the school education department are likely to meet on Wednesday to work out the midday meal modalities. The state budget presented on June 22 announced the govt’s decision to entrust Iskcon with cooking and serving midday meals — served to students of Classes 1 to 8 — at state-aided schools in Kolkata.

Bengal finance minister Swapan Dasgupta said in his budget speech that the allotment for midday meals has been increased from Rs 6.78 to Rs 10 per student at the pri-mary level. In the upper primary section, it has remained unchanged at Rs 10.17.In Kolkata, there are over 1,800 schools where midday meals are served.Iskcon had said in a statement that while the new menu would be highly nutritious, it would exclude eggs.

In the current arrangement, eggs are served once a week.The issue has snowballed into a political controversy. Amit Malviya, Bengal BJP’s co-minder, said on Sunday, “The outrage over the Bengal govt’s decision to entrust the midday meal programme to Iskcon is entirely contrived.”He said, “The priority of any midday meal programme is simple: provide every child with a nutritious, hygienic and dependable meal. Iskcon has a long and proven track record of serving millions of meals across India with the highest standards of hygiene and efficiency.

It also has deep cultural roots in Bengal, making the attempt to portray it as some alien imposition rather absurd.”He went on to argue, “A wholesome vegetarian meal is nutritionally adequate for a school lunch. This is not about imposing anyone’s food choices; it is about providing the most nutritious meal possible within available public resources. Children remain free to eat whatever they and their families choose at home.

One meal served in school does not alter anyone’s dietary habits, cultural identity or personal preferences.

”Trinamool MP Mahua Moitra countered, “Our children don’t like soya. When we serve it in school, they refuse it. If the reason is not promoting vegetarianism, give me one good reason for this. And what is rajma? Do Bengalis know what rajma is? I never had it until I went to Delhi. If I go to Karimpur, or even Nakashipara, and say rajma, people just look at me.

It is not a bean, it is not a lentil, it is not a legume that is native to Bengal or that people here have a taste for.

We are talking about children here. And looking at some of their comments—they ask why don’t they have it (eggs) at home? Excuse me, the people commenting on social media, their kids are not dependent on midday meals. 40% of our school children go to school just to get that one nutritious hot meal of the day. This is the reality of our country.”