With cases of students falling sick after consuming mid-day meals in government schools being reported from across Kalyana Karnataka region this month, the Director of PM Poshan (Mid-day Meal) Public Instructions has constituted a task force team to monitor the quality of meals served to students in government schools across Kalyana Karnataka region by conducting surprise inspections.
Director of PM Poshan (Mid-day Meal) Shubh Kalyan has in his order stated that the task force comprising five teams of three people each has been formed to monitor hygiene in food provided at government schools and ensure students get healthy food.
The teams are led by the Deputy Director of Public Instructions (Administration), the Deputy Director (Development), District Institute of Education and Training (DIET), Kalaburagi, the Block Education Officer (BEO), the Education Officer (PM Poshan) and the Assistant Director PM Poshan. It has subject inspectors, cluster resource persons, senior and junior lecturers, block resource coordinator, education and communication officers as its members.
Recently, three incidents were reported from government schools in the region in which 123 students in Appanadoddi village in Raichur district, 40 students at Kembhavi in Shorapur taluk of Yadgir district and 30 students at Nimboor School in Humnabad taluk of Bidar District fell ill and were hospitalised after consuming mid-day meals. The headmasters and the Assistant Director PM Poshan (Mid-day Meal) in charge of the three schools were suspended for negligence.
Parameters
As per the instructions, the task force team will carry out inspection in schools to assess cleanliness based on various parameters such as food quality and hygiene in kitchen-cum-store in schools.
The others are: vessels used to cook food, whether the cooked food is closed with a lid, water supplied to school is safe for drinking and to cook food, the cook should wear apron and head cap, the cook must have a clean uniform, wash his hands before preparing food, keep fingernails clean and trimmed and avoid tobacco chewing.
The task force teams have been directed to submit a report to their respective zilla panchayat chief executive officers.
