The mid-day meal preparation and distribution system for the municipal schools in the Capital will be under CCTV surveillance from now on. Aimed at checking a Bihar-like tragedy, North and South Delhi Municipal Corporations have asked NGOs preparing the food for its schoolchildren to install CCTV cameras in and around its kitchen areas, to ensure there is no suspicious activity or entry of unauthorised persons.
The development comes in the wake of the death of two dozen children in a school in Bihar after consuming poisonous mid-day meal. Fearing foul play ahead of elections, the ruling BJP in the North Delhi Municipal Corporation (NMC) has also decided to verify antecedents of all employees associated with mid-day meals being supplied in its schools.
Deputy chairman of Standing Committee Mohan Bhardwaj on Thursday said that with the Assembly elections nearing, some mischievous elements might conspire to defame the party. Similarly, South Delhi Municipal Corporation (SDMC) has also directed NGOs to install CCTV cameras.
leader of House in NMC Mahender Nagpal said that installation of the CCTV cameras would help the corporation to keep a check on employees. "Though no casualty has been reported in Delhi, there have been complaints in the past from parents, teachers and other staff members regarding poor quality of food," Nagpal said.
"After the incident in Bihar and with the Assembly elections round the corner in Delhi, possibility of a conspiracy to defame the party and corporation cannot be ruled out. Moreover, proper surveillance will ultimately ensure safety and proper health of children," he added.
Meanwhile, senior officials led by Education Committee Chairman of SDMC Satish Upadhyay inspected the kitchens of NGOs supplying mid-day meal in its schools. Upadhyay said that security would be enhanced near the kitchens.
"Entry of any unauthorised person will be restricted into the kitchens where the food is prepared. Round-the-clock monitoring will be done through CCTV cameras to stop outside interference by any person," he added.
In another move, NMC has decided to conduct surprise inspections of the kitchens every week. Chairman of the Standing Committee in NMC, Ram Kishan Singhal said that from next week Mayor, Commissioner, all Additional Commissioners, leader of House and the leader of Opposition will jointly conduct inspections of the kitchens and the schools. The Mayor of the Corporation has also instructed a check of the food quality by a five-member committee 15 minutes before it is served to students in the schools.
Earlier, at a Standing Committee meeting on Thursday, Deputy Chairman Mohan Bhardwaj also said that some mischievous elements could defame the Municipal Corporation by poisoning the meal supplied to children in its schools. "To avoid any such incident, the Corporation should start verifying antecedents of all the employees of NGOs preparing food under the scheme. Credential of all the employees involved in cooking and transportation of food from kitchens to the schools need to be verified to avoid any unfortunate incident," he added.