Sambalpur: Mid Day Meal is running on Debt, No Grant Received since 5 months, Rs. 8 crore debt on the head of Sambalpur Teachers

Sambalpur: Debt of more than 8 crore rupees on the head of the teacher hired to teach the lessons. Due to the negligence of the government, this debt amount is increasing every day. The government has introduced a free mid-day meal scheme for students from class 1st to 8th. It is now going through disorder situation. For the last 5 months, the schools of Sambalpur district have not received any grant money for mid-day meals.

There are a total of 1199 schools in the district from the 1st to 8th class in which 90 thousand students are studying, a child from the 1st to 5th class receives Rs. 5.90 per day, while for the students studying in the 6th to 8th class, get a grant of Rs. 8.82 per day. On an average basis, the teachers of Sambalpur district have already debt more than 8 crore rupees.

Teachers in charge of mid-day meals are now forced to spend money from their own pockets due to non-availability of grants. A teacher expressed regret that they have to debt money due to frequent deficits. According to them, shopkeepers have refused to give rations because they have not been given money for so many months. According to the head teacher of another school, they have complained to the authorities for grant and they are saying what will we do if the government does not give us money. “We will be forced to stop the mid day meal if the grant is not received as soon as possible,” he said. The shopkeepers are now directly refusing as the remaining money has not been paid for so many months.

According to a shopkeeper, the shop was emptied after giving rations to the children. They don’t give me money or I can’t buy new things and now I am forced to refuse to give school supplies.

Previously in the district 3 months advance money was given. On the other hand, the teachers reported this to the Sambalpur District Education Officer. The officials are raising their hands and saying that the same is the case in all the districts. They are saying that the government has not given the money.