Mail News Service
Imphal, Nov 4 : Mid Day Meal scheme, the national flagship programme being implemented in schools across the country, is reported to be in full swing in Ukhrul district of Manipur excepting few schools in far-flung and border areas.
“In the context of Ukhrul district most of all schools have known the importance and its value of MDM (Mid Day Meal). All the schools are implementing MDM satisfactorily,” according to reports from Zonal Education Office (ZEO) of Ukhrul. The statement was officially made by Comfort Duidang, deputy inspector, ZEO Ukhrul in an address on “Mid-Day Meal” on the concluding day of Bharat Nirman Campaign on Saturday.
He however admitted that effective implementation of MDM is not certain far-flung villages while also hinting at schools in border areas.
In Ukhrul, it is said that the food grains were distributed through the Sub-Divisional Officers of five blocks under the supervision of deputy commissioner. Altogether, a number of 282 government schools are availing the benefits of MDM in the district.
He informed that the delivery of food grains to all the schools will be completed by November 15 and the third quarter of it will be distributed this time. “…it is the duty of respective headmaster/headmistress to serve hot cooked meal to the going children,” said the official.
For the various schools in the district, the allocation of food grains to primary schools is 1102.12 quintals in first quarter, 1339.80 in second quarter and 701.00 in third quarter. On the other hand, the allocation of food grains to upper schools is 324.90 in first quarter, 394.90 in second quarter and 170.75 in third quarter.
Amidst the confounded raging issues of implementing quality education in the District by eliminating the unwanted practices of sub letting teachers, the efforts undertaken by SSA and hopefully to be achieved by the end of this year, Ukhrul also boast of the being the first District in Manipur to have SSA consultant.
Considering the need of having Consultant in the District to sensitize the many ills plaguing education sector in the District a twelve member team headed by a Consultant was constituted this year. The Consultant team since its inception has able to streamline many teachers and students towards the national objective of Sarva Shiksha Abhyan in the District remarks the District Program Manager(DPM) Ringshan Shaiza while speaking as resource person on the implementation of SSA in Ukhrul District at the concluding of Bharat Nirman campaign in Ukhrul. The Consultant team has visited more than fifty percent of schools in the District to take stock of the facilities provided by SSA viz. uniforms, writing material etc. At the same time they are checking the presence of sub letting teachers in government schools.
Elaborating the achievement of SSA in Ukhrul District the DPM said that Ukhrul District has make remarkable achievement in the field of Girls education, Community Mobilization, Residential Bride Course and Civil works. The DPM however regretted on the inability to implement research and Monitoring works and Distance education for teachers due to certain technical difficulties in the District.
Right To Information is not what to be given by the government but what we have to use. It is us which we have to use as a tool for the betterment of our country. This remark is given by Micheal Zimik, the Assistant Public Prosecutor (APP), in his topical presentation on Right To Information(RTI) Act on the third day of Bharat Nirman campaign at Ukhrul.
The Asst. Public Prosecutor (APP) while elaborating on RTI said that government of India implemented RTI Act 2005 to provide for setting out practical regime of right to information for citizen. Under the provisions of the Act, any citizen may request information from a “public authority” a body of Government or “instrumentality of State” which is required to reply expeditiously or within thirty days. The Act also requires every public authority to computerize their records for wide dissemination and to pro-actively publish certain categories of information so that the citizens need minimum recourse to request for information formally.
This law was passed by Parliament on 15 June 2005 and came fully into force on 12 October 2005. Information disclosure in India was hitherto restricted by the Official Secret Act 1923 and various other special laws, but with the inception of RTI it has now been relaxes.
The APP however made it clear that matters on sovereignty and integrity of India and national security does not come under the preview of RTI Act.
To inculcate the concept of RTI for better realization of the people the APP said that in every government office there is Information Officer which has a mandatory role to response to the people’s queries. Recalcitrant officers who failed to response the query within 30 days are liable to a fine of upto Rs.25, 000, he added.
On the process of using RTI to get information, the APP said that one has to use proper format with a fee of Rs.10. He however made it clear that no fee is applicable to Below Poverty Line (BPL) families provided the BPL number is indicated in the information application format.
Read more / Original news source: http://manipur-mail.com/mdm-going-on-well-in-ukhrul/
