CITY | Thursday, March 11, 2010 | Email | Print |  | Back
Govt asks schools to pull up socks
Abhishek Anshu | New Delhi
Keeping in view the deplorable condition of mid-day meal scheme in Government schools in national Capital, Directorate of Education (DoE) has issued certain instructions to the schools regarding monitoring of mid-day meal and inspection of kitchens of service providers. In a circular issued by the DoE, schools have been asked to monitor the quality of food and hygiene in the kitchens. According to the DoE, in a research study, some deficiencies have been observed in mid-day meal supply and in the kitchens of the suppliers.
Keeping in view the report of research study, DoE has recommended to the schools that the quality of food provided in the mid-day meal scheme should be improved. While mentioning the quality of food, DoE has also instructed the schools that the food served to the students must contain sufficient quantity of mashed seasonal vegetables. The circular also states that grains should not be heavily watered down. It also recommended that poories should not be too thick and hard to eat and rice or pulao should not be served without dal, sambhar, rajma, etc.
MK Agarwal, Additional Director of Education (Mid-day meal) said, "To ensure that the nutrients of dal, vegetables and rice are not washed away in washing, so only required quantity of water is to be used during cooking. The circular also mentions that during cooking rice only required amount of water should be taken so that necessary nutrients of rice are not thrown away in excess water."
Regarding kitchen, DoE has recommended that the kitchens should have proper ventilation, hygienic environment and proper storage area. The area around the kitchen should also be satisfactorily clean and garbage should not be dumped nearby the kitchen. DoE has also suggested that special attention should be given towards the personal hygiene of the cooks and the food-handlers. The cooks and the food-handlers should also use apron and gloves while working in the kitchen.
The food containers should not be made up of Aluminum as well. Regarding the menu of the food provided in the mid-day meal scheme, DoE has suggested that rice-based and wheat-based menu should be provided alternatively during the week.
It is pertinent to mention that in November 2009, over 130 students of a Government Sarvodaya Girls Secondary school in Delhi fell ill after consuming mid-day meals which were prepared a day before.
In the morning, the students were being served dal-chawl in the meal in the school and after having the meal, students complained of having stomach ache and vomiting. Some of the students started vomiting while others told their teachers that they were feeling uncomfortable after which they were taken to Lal Bahadur Shastri Hospital and Hedgewar Hospital.
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