By Our Reporter
SHILLONG: While categorically denying reports that the students of the Unitarian Lower Primary School in Upper Klew village were deprived of the mid-day meal scheme, the school authorities claimed that the school has been providing mid-day meals to the students for the past many years.
“We have appointed two cooks for providing meal to students,” the school head teacher M Pdah told reporters here on Tuesday.
Earlier, it was reported that students of the school are not getting their mid-day meal even as official records claimed otherwise.
Despite an internal strife within the Klew village, Pdah said that the school authorities have steered clear of all these controversies and have allowed students of both the sides to pursue their studies there.
“We are not biased against either of the sides as the school was set up for the sole purpose of providing education to students irrespective of any political or social divisions in the village,” Pdah said.
He however admitted that there are students who refuse to avail the mid-day meals served and as such the school authorities cannot force them to have the food. “These students belong to the side which is opposing the headman,” Pdah informed.
The issue of the mid-day meal scheme not being implemented came to light after students of the school informed reporters that they were not getting any meals in the school.
But matters were entirely different on papers and files maintained by the authorities.
RTI findings and spot verification conducted earlier this month revealed that concerned authorities who are implementing the scheme have not utilised the funds earmarked for mid-day meals.