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Parents criticise discrimination in mid-day meals in Mulund BMC school
Parents have also raised concerns about the half-done construction work in the school building. They said the school had not received a complete no-objection certificate and feared that the incomplete work could put children at risk
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MUMBAI: Parents of students at the Deendayal Upadhyay Municipal Corporation School complex in Mulund have raised concerns about the discrimination in the mid-day meals served to students of its five language mediums. Even after the BMC cancelled the catering contracts for the Hindi, Urdu and English mediums following complaints, the Kannada and Marathi medium students continue to receive food from the same caterer.
In August, parents of English-medium students complained after hair and pebbles were allegedly found in the mid-day meals. They also raised the issue before the School Management Committee, (SMC) demanding action against the supplier. Unhappy with the response from the school administration and the BMC’s central procurement department, they then parents approached the assistant commissioner of T ward.
Following the intervention, a new organisation, Suchita Mahila Mandal, began supplying meals to the English-medium section from October 10. However, the earlier caterer, Trimurti Mahila Mandal, continues to provide meals to Marathi and Kannada medium students. Parents have questioned why the BMC has taken action in only three sections when all five schools are part of the same complex.
The issue was again raised during an SMC meeting on Wednesday. “Despite complaints, Marathi- and Kannada-medium students are still being served food by the same organisation,” said Sachin Kasbe, an SMC member from Mulund. “This is injustice, and the responsibility lies with the BMC’s central procurement department.” Kabse added that the principal of the English-medium school informed members about meetings only eight hours in advance.
Parents have also raised concerns about the half-done construction work in the school building. They said the school had not received a complete no-objection certificate and feared that the incomplete work could put children at risk.
An officer from the education department said he would comment on the matter only after a detailed verification with the concerned department.
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