No check on food donors at NGO-run centres for disabled

Gurvinder Singh

Tribune News Service

Ludhiana, August 3

The death of two children and many falling sick after consuming stale food in Kapurthala may be an eyeopener for NGOs and centres accepting food in donations. Most local NGOs running such centres for physically and mentally challenged children accept eatables from people without checking their identities or quality of food, putting children of such centres at health risk.

It was found a school for mentally and physically challenged children near the BRS Nagar area did not keep any record of people coming to donate food. This reporter went to the school carrying a packet of candies and sought permission from the ‘teacher’ there to distribute the candies among all children. Some Good Samaritans were also there, distributing samosas and other snacks among the children. When asked if they were accepting all food, the teacher replied: “People come and donate snacks, etc, and we let them do so. But as far as regular meals are concerned, we encourage them to give us ration instead, and we cook food ourselves.” When asked if they were keeping a record of visitors donating the food, they said they did not ask about the identity of the people donating food.

It was a similar story at another school of children suffering from various disabilities. With packaged candies, the reporter went to the school and entered a classroom. While one of the teachers allowed him to distribute the candies, the teachers in other classrooms objected to it. They told him that permission was required from the office for distributing anything among students.

The staff members said the candies could be distributed later on, after the classes were over, or these could be left there. When asked if they would not note down the name of the person donating something, the staff member said: “No, there is no need. People come and donate food items. See those packets of biscuits.” But when asked to note down at least the name of a donor, she replied: “Don’t worry, we are not going to eat these. This will be distributed among the children only.”

At Bal Bhawan in Sarabha Nagar, a proper record of donated food items and donors was being maintained. However, people coming to distribute food and other things among children themselves were not asked for their identity. When this reporter reached Bal Bhawan, an attendant holding a notebook was about to note down his name. He said: “We write down the name and quantity whenever someone donates something, so as to keep a record of the available stock of ration or food. But if you want to distribute these yourself, you can come in the evening.” When asked, if he would be noting down the name then, he said: “No, we don’t note down anything when you distribute food among the children yourself,” he said.