Following the demonstration held on Thursday afternoon, despite the inclement weather, on Via Annunziata near Palazzo Mosti, the seat of the Municipality of Benevento, Mayor Clemente Mastella spoke to TV7.

The possible delay in the start of school lunch service in Benevento opens the way to a temporary solution for families: allowing students to bring their lunch from home and eat it at school. This is the option announced by Mayor Clemente Mastella, who also called attention to the responsibilities of the company awarded the service.

"If I put out a tender and a company wins, whose fault is it, mine or the company's? It almost seems as if the responsibility always lies with the mayor or the administration," the mayor stated, emphasizing the need to distinguish the responsibilities of the Municipality from those of the company awarded the service.

Mastella explained that he has already called a meeting with school principals and the company involved to find a solution to the issue. However, this may not be immediate. Hence the proposal to allow, in the meantime, home-cooked meals.

"There was a war of words in the past because people wanted home-cooked meals, but now they don't. We're authorizing home-cooked meals, and then the school boards will decide," the mayor stated, recalling how the issue had been the focus of heated debate in the past.

According to Mastella, there would no longer be any mixing of meals provided by the public service and those brought from home. "Everyone can bring a sandwich, and parents can accompany their children, bringing their own meals," he added, specifying that it will then be up to individual schools and their governing bodies to decide how to manage this option.

The proposal aims to provide an immediate response to families awaiting clarification on the launch of the cafeteria. It remains to be seen when the service will begin and what decisions individual schools will make regarding home-cooked meals.