Special team visits state-run schools to inspect quality of mid-day meal

Balurghat: A special team comprising high-level district administrative officials has started visiting different state-run primary and high schools to inspect the quality of food served for students in mid-day meal from Saturday.

The drive will be continued till August 31.

According to a district administrative official, the drive comes after recent allegations of boiled rice and salt being served for midday meal at Chinsurah Balika Bani Mandir school in Hooghly a few days ago.

"We have received a special order from the state government in which we have directed to visit government aided primary and high schools to inspect the quality of food being served in midday

meal for students. We have also directed to keep watch whether the cooked food

being served adhere to the menu list prescribed by the concerned department," said an official.

The school education department has recently sent a circular to the district administration directing to follow the menu and chart which specifies on which date which type of food will be served.

The students will be served vegetarian menu on Monday, Wednesday, Friday and Saturday while a non-vegetarian menu, including either fish of egg curry, will be provided for Tuesday and Thursday.

Notably the midday meal scheme was designed under Sarbosiksha Avijan to serve nutritious food particularly to those students belonging to the underprivileged section of the society.

According to an official, centre provides 60 percent of the cost while the rest of 40 percent of the cost is beard by the state.

District Inspector of Schools (Secondary) Mrinal Kanti Roy Singha said: "We will not tolerance any negligence regarding midday meal. The food will be served as per menu list served by the state."