10 years on, no mid-day meals at this Rewa school:Principal halts admissions; parents complain to Collector as children survive on water

Students at Government Middle School Neebi in Rewa have not received mid-day meals for more than a decade. The school, 55 km from Rewa city, is reportedly the only one in the state where children do not get even one meal a week. Complaints have been raised since January, but no action has been taken. Parents have now approached the Collector seeking intervention. School in dilapidated condition The Dainik Bhaskar team visited the school to verify the complaints. They found the school in a poor state. The main gate is broken. There is no proper drinking water, no handpump, and electricity is cut off despite wiring being present. Fans remain unused during hot summer days. Teachers and children face harsh conditions every day. Hunger forces children to drink water Students say they often manage hunger by drinking water from home. Many do not know what a mid-day meal is, as it has never been served here. Manvi Sharma, a student, said she has studied at the school for three years without receiving any food. Even on Independence Day or Republic Day, no special meals were provided. Teachers complain but no action taken Principal Satish Pandey confirmed that he repeatedly requested mid-day meals. Complaints were sent to the BRC office, but food has never been provided consistently. Sometimes, meals are arranged for a day or two, but they stop abruptly. Teacher Muneshwari Thakur said many children leave school due to hunger. Some students even want to transfer to other schools. The number of students has fallen from 77 last year to 51 this year. Teachers confirm that the Jagriti Self-Help Group, responsible for supplying food, has failed in its duty for five years. Parents allege fund misappropriation Parents allege corruption in the mid-day meal scheme. Basant Sharma, father of Manvi Sharma, said government funds meant for meals are being misused. Many students come from poor families who rely on these meals. Parents demand recovery of embezzled money and action against those responsible. Villagers accuse collusion between officials and group Social worker Shivanand Dwivedi said local officials have ignored the issue for 10 years. The Jagriti Self-Help Group, led by Santosh Kumari Vishwakarma, is accused of colluding with officials like BRC Pradeep Dwivedi to misappropriate funds. Attempts to contact the group were unsuccessful. Physical condition of school The school’s infrastructure is also in a bad state. Windows are broken, and the main gate is damaged. The school has even been robbed in the past. Students, teachers, and parents face daily difficulties due to these poor conditions. Officials assure action BRC Pradeep Dwivedi denied prior knowledge of the complaints but said the group’s tender could be cancelled if negligence is proven. District Education Officer Ramraj Mishra said strict instructions have been issued to ensure proper food provision in all schools. Groups responsible for mid-day meals must provide nutritious food as per government guidelines. Collector Pratibha Pal said the Mid-Day Meal Scheme is an important government initiative for children’s health and development. She assured strict action against anyone showing negligence. ​