Kamal Kumar Biswas.TOD.Balurghat
Rising geopolitical tensions involving Iran, the United States and Israel are beginning to cast a long shadow far beyond the Middle East, reaching even the kitchens of rural schools in eastern India. At Badamail Lakhi Pratap High School in the Balurghat block of West Bengal’s Dakshin Dinajpur district, an irregular supply of cooking gas has raised concerns that the school’s midday meal program could soon be disrupted.
Teachers and students at the school say the uncertainty over liquefied petroleum gas (LPG) deliveries has already created anxiety about whether the daily cooked meals — a crucial nutritional support for many children — can continue uninterrupted.School authorities are making urgent efforts to prevent a shutdown. The headmaster, Asit Baran Lahiri, said he has been in touch with relevant officials and suppliers in an attempt to ensure a steady flow of gas cylinders. But if the supply fails to stabilize, the school may have to temporarily replace cooked meals with dry food under the government’s midday meal scheme.
For many students in this rural region, the midday meal is more than a school benefit — it is an essential source of daily nutrition. The concern is particularly acute for students from economically vulnerable families who rely heavily on the program.The situation could be even more difficult for students living in the school hostel. Residential students depend entirely on the school kitchen for their daily meals, and a shortage of cooking gas could also halt food preparation for the hostel.
Students expressed worry that a prolonged disruption in gas supply would affect those who depend most on the program. Hostel residents, they said, would likely face the greatest hardship if cooked meals cannot be prepared.
Mr. Lahiri noted that the school kitchen had been modernized to cook with gas rather than traditional firewood. Returning to wood-fired cooking would not be easy, he said, given the infrastructure changes and logistical challenges.Still, he remains hopeful that the issue will be resolved soon. “We are trying our best to maintain the gas supply,” he said, adding that dry food would be provided temporarily if necessary.
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