Pandemonium was witnessed in the House on Monday, when Janta Congress Chhattisgarh (J) Legislative Party Leader Dharamjit Singh raised up the issue of egg distribution to students in mid-day meals. Demanding to scrap the decision, the opposition stated that there are several other alternatives which can be given as protein supplement. Soon after the Question Hour, JCC(J) Legislative Party Leader Dharamjit Singh while raising the issue said there are large number of followers of Kabir Panth in the state and their children also study in government schools. He said small students cannot differentiate between eggs and potatoes. If they eat accidentally, it will create ruckus in the society as it against the sentiments of Kabir Panth followers.

 

 

Singh further added that today the state government is propagating for distribution eggs as nutritional supplement, tomorrow it can ask to eat beef, which also has high protein content. There is large scale opposition against this State Government order in various districts like Mungeli, Kawardha and Balodabazar and that the state government should immediately withdraw egg from mid-day meal scheme, demanded Singh. He said there are other nutritional supplements which can be given instead of eggs. Countering Singh, CPCC President Mohan Markam said there is high malnutrition percentage in Chhattisgarh and is prevailing among children mostly living in tribal and backward areas and in order to address this problem the state government has decided to fight it by including eggs in their diet but the opposition is making it an issue just for political motives. He further added that it was not compulsory for those students who don’t want to eat egg or are vegetarian and they are free to skip it in their meal. He said rate of malnourishment in Chhattisgarh is approximately 40 percent and egg is a good source of protein.

 

 

BJP Legislator Shivratan Sharma said, a large section of the state’s population follows Kabir Panth as well as Satnam Panth and they are opposing it as it is against their customs and government should respect their sentiments. The issue led to chaos in the House as both treasury and opposition benches created disarray in the House. Amidst Pandemonium, Speaker Dr Charandas Mahant adjourned the House for five minutes. It may be recalled that recently the state government had decided to include egg in the menu of mid-day meals once a week. Meanwhile on Friday, Congress MLAs in a letter to Chief Minister Bhupesh Baghel had urged him to serve egg at least three days in a week citing nutritional value. Several major social organizations have also come in support of the state government and had demanded for including it all five days.

 

 

Recently, a large number of Kabir Panthis staged protest in Kabirdham district and submitted a memorandum to Collector demanding that eggs be removed from mid-day meal to students. Kabir Panth community have threatened that they have decided to block Raipur-Bilaspur highway to protest against inclusion of eggs in mid-day meals as it is against their customs. In place of eggs, sprouts, juice or any other supplement can be given to children to meet their protein requirement, they added.