Sangrur, April 11
Though complaints of substandard ingredients being used in the mid-day meals served in the state are common, rat droppings being spotted in a meal is a first. School staff of the Government Middle School, Haripura Basti, Sangrur, had allegedly detected rat droppings in cooked rice a couple of days ago.
The meal is supplied to this school by an agency ‘Istri Shakti’ from nearby Badrukhan village. After the headmistress of the school complained about the matter to the authorities concerned, the Additional Deputy Commissioner asked the health authorities to take samples of the foodgrain from the store of the agency ‘Istri Shakti’.
A team of officials from the health department, led by District Health Officer Dr Surinder Singla, visited the store at Badrukhan village yesterday and collected samples of rice, atta, refined oil and cooked food. The samples were collected under the Food Safety and Standards Act.
Dr Singla said they had sent the samples for testing to the public analysts of Punjab and Chandigarh. Further proceeding would be initiated on the basis of the results of the samples, he said.
Teja Singh, District Manager, Mid-day Meal, Sangrur, said they had taken serious note of the complaint as it was a matter related to the health of schoolchildren.
Earlier, in the first week of January, Deputy Commissioner Kumar Rahul had checked the mid-day meal at Government Senior Secondary School for Boys, Sangrur and had found the quality of cooked rice and the curry very poor. Later, a sample of turmeric powder taken by the health authorities from the store of mid-day meal supplier agency was found to be substandard.
"We have sent the samples for testing to the public analysts of Punjab and Chandigarh. We will proceed further on the basis of the results"
— Dr Surinder Singla, District Health Officer
Though complaints of substandard ingredients being used in the mid-day meals served in the state are common, rat droppings being spotted in a meal is a first. School staff of the Government Middle School, Haripura Basti, Sangrur, had allegedly detected rat droppings in cooked rice a couple of days ago.
The meal is supplied to this school by an agency ‘Istri Shakti’ from nearby Badrukhan village. After the headmistress of the school complained about the matter to the authorities concerned, the Additional Deputy Commissioner asked the health authorities to take samples of the foodgrain from the store of the agency ‘Istri Shakti’.
A team of officials from the health department, led by District Health Officer Dr Surinder Singla, visited the store at Badrukhan village yesterday and collected samples of rice, atta, refined oil and cooked food. The samples were collected under the Food Safety and Standards Act.
Dr Singla said they had sent the samples for testing to the public analysts of Punjab and Chandigarh. Further proceeding would be initiated on the basis of the results of the samples, he said.
Teja Singh, District Manager, Mid-day Meal, Sangrur, said they had taken serious note of the complaint as it was a matter related to the health of schoolchildren.
Earlier, in the first week of January, Deputy Commissioner Kumar Rahul had checked the mid-day meal at Government Senior Secondary School for Boys, Sangrur and had found the quality of cooked rice and the curry very poor. Later, a sample of turmeric powder taken by the health authorities from the store of mid-day meal supplier agency was found to be substandard.
"We have sent the samples for testing to the public analysts of Punjab and Chandigarh. We will proceed further on the basis of the results"
— Dr Surinder Singla, District Health Officer
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