by M Majid Malik
Bhaderwah: With the lockdown in place and schools closed, the government has asked the teachers to distribute the uncooked mid-day meal to the deserving students. So, some teachers ensure they follow the order in letter and spirit.
Shaheen Begum and Shabina Kouser, the two teachers of Government Primary School Kotli, in Bhaderwah, take a sack loaded with packets of mid-day meal (MDM) dry ration and roamed around village surrounding their school to deliver it at students’ doorsteps.
The government has directed to implement the scheme even when the lockdown is in place. This is aimed at [preventing hunger in rural children during the crisis when most of the village farmers, daily wagers and migrant labourers are facing a tough time. The human resource department (HRD) recently issued an order asking schools to ensure that students should not be deprived of the benefit of mid-day meal during the lockdown period. The rice prescribed under MDM manual should be delivered at doorsteps of the students. A section of teachers in UT had raised question over government’s order terming it a difficult job when the lockdown is in place as they are lacking safety gears.
The two teachers, however, have been distributing ration and other essential goods to every student for the last four days. Both female teachers leave their school at around 10 am and return to school by 4 pm after delivering the food items at the doorstep of every student, said Shaheena Bageum, Sarpanch of Sadar Panchayat, Bhaderwah. The children’s are really happy to see their teachers who came to their house with the midday meal stuff, she added.
