Panaji: From November 2 to 7, self-help groups supplying midday meals to schools across Goa will serve bread ( pao ) thrice a week with bhajji and chappatis for the other three days with bhajji on a trial-basis. Based on feedback during these six days, the directorate of education (DoE) will review the decision to replace pao with chappatis in the midday meals. The DoE had issued a circular last week informing self-help groups supplying midday meals in schools that the rates offered to them have been hiked and the menu has been changed to replace pao with chappatis thrice a week. Self-help groups met chief minister and education minister Laxmikant Parsekar and later the director of education G P Bhat on Tuesday to discuss their difficulties in making a significant number of chappatis . The self-help groups said that the process of making so many chappatis at a time was tedious and would lead to additional labour cost for them. The midday meal suppliers also told the director of education that chappatis could lose their softness by the time they are supplied to students. Parsekar, however, informed the suppliers that they will have to comply with the directives issued and that the meal rates have been suitably hiked now and additional costs should not be an issue. The suppliers later discussed the issue with the director of education, where a compromise was struck that the new menu would be supplied during the first week of November on a trial basis. “Students will be going on Diwali vacations from November 7. So suppliers have been told to try supplying the menu suggested by us during these six days. Then schools break for Diwali vacations which last 21 days. During this period we can make the necessary changes in the scheme as per the feedback from all involved,” Bhat said.

