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Sweet treat, bitter burden: Schools struggle to provide ghee halwa in mid-day meals

By, Ludhiana
Jan 15, 2025 10:43 PM IST

This special addition has come without extra funding to cover its costs. School staff are struggling to manage the expenses within the existing mid-day meal budget.

The school authorities have expressed concerns about the state government’s decision to include “ghee ka halwa” in mid-day meals every Wednesday for January. While the idea aims to add a nutritious and festive touch to the menu, school heads and teachers are grappling with the financial strain and logistical challenges it has created.

Government school students partaking of mid-day meal in Ludhiana on Wednesday. (Manish/Hindustan Times)
Government school students partaking of mid-day meal in Ludhiana on Wednesday. (Manish/Hindustan Times)

According to the education department’s January menu, schools must prepare and serve halwa made with desi ghee. However, this special addition has come without extra funding to cover its costs. School staff are struggling to manage the expenses within the existing mid-day meal budget, which was revised in November last year. The schools served “ghee ka halwa” for the second time on January 15, following their reopening after the winter break.

Financial challenges and health concerns

Before the November revision, the cooking cost per child was 5.45 for primary students and 8.17 for upper primary students. The updated costs of 6.19 and 9.29 per child are still proving insufficient to manage the added expense of ghee halwa.

“The primary schools are the worst affected,” said Davinder Singh Sidhu, district vice-president of the Democratic Teachers’ Front (DTF). “Students often drink water immediately after eating halwa, increasing the risk of them falling sick. Additionally, preparing halwa for 50-60 students requires at least 1 kg of ghee, and no additional funds have been allocated for this.”

Teachers bear the brunt

Teachers and staff have been forced to shoulder the financial burden. “Schools don’t have large cauldrons to prepare such dishes in bulk. The small ones we have are meant for tempering spices,” explained Dharamjeet Singh Dhillon, state finance secretary of the Lecturer Cadre Union. “In some cases, teachers are buying ghee out of their own pockets to meet the requirement. This is unfair and unsustainable.”

Grain shortages add to woes

Many schools are also grappling with a severe shortage of essential food grains like rice and wheat. “Most schools are already low on supplies, which has made the situation even worse,” Dhillon added.

District education officer (elementary) Ravinder Kaur acknowledged the difficulties. “The ghee halwa is only for January, but no information has been provided about compensating schools for the ghee purchase,” she said. On the delayed grain supplies, she noted, “The issue lies with the suppliers, but we have asked them to resolve it within two days.”

For now, the “sweet treat” has left school staff with a bitter aftertaste, as they navigate financial challenges to ensure students are fed and healthy.

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