T&T Cabinet fires chairman of school-feeding programme

(Trinidad Guardian) The chairman of the National Schools Dietary Services Ltd (NSDSL)—Dawn Annamunthodo—has been fired. Annamunthodo’s appointment was revoked with immediate effect on August 4. The decision to terminate her appointment was taken by Cabinet, just six months after she was appointed to head the school-feeding programme.

Dawn Annamunthodo
Dawn Annamunthodo

The termination followed allegations of a TT$50,000-plus VIP security bill and attempts to become a signatory on the company’s account, according to documents obtained by Sunday Guardian. Annamunthodo’s dismissal follows the resignation of two of the NSDSL’s board directors—Rev Subesh Ramjattan and Vandanna Prajapat. The board wrote to Minister of Education Dr Tim Goopeesingh on May 10, expressing concerns about the matter involving Annamunthodo. Copies of the three-page correspondence were also sent to Prime Minister Kamla Persad-Bissessar and to permanent secretaries in the Ministries of Education and Finance—Maurice Suite and Marlene Juman respectively.