PUNE: Alarmed by the mid-day meal deaths of school students in Bihar, the Pune Municipal Corporation (PMC) has issued notice Savitri Bachat Gat Mahasangh, the umbrella organisation of 170 self help groups (SHGs) that supplies mid-day meals to students of civic schools.
The notice has been issued to the Mahasangh to ensure that all these 170 SHGs have the mandatory nod from the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) to operate the kitchens to prepare the mid-day meals. "We have sent a notice to Mahasangh to get all SHGs registered with FDA immediately. Those who don't comply with the rules will be shut down by the civic body," said Shivaji Daundkar, the Education Officer of PMC.
Daundkar admitted that the kitchens run by majority of SHGs supplying food to PMC school students do have FDA's approval. Under the Food Safety and Standard Act, 2006, all establishments dealing with food and having a turnover up to Rs 12 lakh have to be registered with FDA and those having a turnover of over Rs 12 lakh have to procure a licence from FDA.
Civic officials added that the flying squads of the civic body monitor the kitchens of these SHGs at regular intervals. The mid-day meal scheme in around 275 PMC schools has 72,000 beneficiaries. In last three years, there have been two major food poisoning incidents in the district, one involving a PMC school and another a municipal school at Alandi.
The notice has been issued to the Mahasangh to ensure that all these 170 SHGs have the mandatory nod from the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) to operate the kitchens to prepare the mid-day meals. "We have sent a notice to Mahasangh to get all SHGs registered with FDA immediately. Those who don't comply with the rules will be shut down by the civic body," said Shivaji Daundkar, the Education Officer of PMC.
Daundkar admitted that the kitchens run by majority of SHGs supplying food to PMC school students do have FDA's approval. Under the Food Safety and Standard Act, 2006, all establishments dealing with food and having a turnover up to Rs 12 lakh have to be registered with FDA and those having a turnover of over Rs 12 lakh have to procure a licence from FDA.
Civic officials added that the flying squads of the civic body monitor the kitchens of these SHGs at regular intervals. The mid-day meal scheme in around 275 PMC schools has 72,000 beneficiaries. In last three years, there have been two major food poisoning incidents in the district, one involving a PMC school and another a municipal school at Alandi.
No comments:
Post a Comment