food department Dist food safety officials yet to collect samples of mid-day meal from schools

Indore: Despite worms being found in mid-day meal of a school and one month after the order for collection of samples of food items being served to children in government-run schools under mid-day meal scheme, district food safety department is yet to take any action.
Only three days ago, a teacher of Government Middle School number-40 in Dhakkanwala Kuan, had spotted worms in the mid-day meal when the food was about to be served to the students. Following the incident, about 200 students of the school had refused to eat mid-day meal. They were ready to eat the food only after the senior officials from zila panchayat assured them of quality of the food.
"Maintaining quality of the food being served under mid-day meal scheme should be priority of the authorities concerned since its main objective is to improve nutritional status of school children," said a senior administrative official wishing anonymity.
The scheme has remained helpful in increasing the enrolment, retention and attendance of children at government school, and thus, it increases responsibility of the departments concerned for its proper implementation, he added.