S Dinajpur DM, officials monitor meals at schools
BALURGHAT: District Magistrate of South Dinajpur Nikhil Nirmal along with a group of government officials launched a midday meal quality inspection drive in two state-run government aided schools in Hili block on Tuesday.
According to a source, the district magistrate Nikhil Nirmal and the government officers inspected Pratap Chandra Uchha Madhyamik Vidyalaya and Chakdapat Primary School in Hili. During the visit, the officials interacted with students, teachers and the members of the concerned Self Help Groups (SHGs). DM and officials had food with students during the inspection.
"We have been involved in conducting a fortnightly special inspection in different schools, including primary, junior-high, high and higher-secondary schools along with Shishu Shiksha Kendras and Madhyamik Shiksha Kendras covering all eight blocks of the district regarding midday meal quality inspection. On Tuesday, we have visited two institutions in Hili block and tasted food served to students. We have also interacted with the pupils, teachers and the members of the concerned SHGs who are officially attached with midday meal cooking," Nirmal said.
According to him, 78 officers are involved in the process of midday meal inspection. Meanwhile, a two-week long programme of inspection of cooked midday meal at different institutions by a district level team has been scheduled from September 2 to September 14.
Officers have requested to chalk out plan involving all officers at district-level to oversee various aspects of Cooked Midday Meal Programme (CDMP) including the quality of food, hygiene, stock of food grains, stock arrangements, drinking water facility, stock of utensils and display of menu chart. According to a source, all educational institutions will be covered up during the period of inspection.
It is said the inspection shall be made in prescribed format. The officials have also been requested to visit all schools during this period and submit a compiled report to the concerned district magistrate within September 18. A government officer said a special review meeting on the programme will be held on September 20 at 11 am in the conference hall at district administrative building in Balurghat. The officials are being directed to present their inspection findings through power point presentation in the meeting," said the officer. Apart from Nirmal, Additional District Magistrate (General), Krittibas Nayak, District Nodal Officer Mahadyuti Adhikary and BDO of Hili block Sanjay Subba were present during inspection.
