The Akhilesh government has directed that branded food material be used in preparation of midday meal in order to ensure that the quality of food is maintained.
UP child development minister Ram Govind Choudhury said on Saturday that only branded cooking oil, seasoning and iodised salt should be used in preparing the food items to be distributed under the scheme. The directive comes after the Bihar tragedy in which 23 children died of food poisoning after consuming the midday meal. “We have directed the concerned authorities to ensure that special attention is paid to hygiene and the raw material is properly washed. The use of substandard spices should also be stopped with immediate effect. Any laxity in carrying out our instructions will invite punitive action,” the minister said. The state government has directed that the cook and the teacher or principal should taste the food before it is served to children.
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‘Collective responsibility must be taken’
Age Correspondent
New Delhi, July 20
With the Central and Bihar governments blaming each other over the midday meal tragedy in which several children were killed, Union human resources development minister M.M. Pallam Raju on Saturday said it is time to “wake up” and take “collective responsibility”.
Dr Raju said government wants that the Central government scheme is implemented properly and has hence constituted a review committee which will look into the quality of the programme. “It is certain that we will be strengthening the mechanism towards implementing the scheme,” he said.
The Union minister said he has received the report by the Saran administration over the incident, which talks about “shortcomings in the way food was stored and how that one factor led to the unfortunate incident. But we are awaiting forensic report, which will give greater detail about what is happening. I know there is a monitoring mechanism committee.”