BY TC News Desk
Agartala, July 24, 2023: Despite headlines and public outcry regarding the mid-day meal’s substandard quality in the state, concerned authorities and the ministry seem to lack stringent measures to address the issue. This time, the issue surfaced in a massive English-medium school in Bishalgarh. The students were found consuming mid-day meals infested with numerous insects, causing distress among parents and guardians.
For an extended period now, the school has been receiving rice supplies that are infested with insects. The rice, however, has been served to the students to make khichuri. Astonishingly, the authorities have not taken any concrete steps to change the rice supplies, leading to repeated occurrences of the same problem.
Taking note of the situation, the Bishalgarh SDM Binoy Bhushan Das on Monday visited the school to conduct a thorough inspection of the mid-day meal arrangements. Subsequently, he directed the relevant authorities in his office to investigate the matter. The incident has prompted concerned parents to question the lack of proactive measures taken by the school authorities to address the recurring issue.
The school’s headmistress clarified that despite informing the office about the problem on numerous occasions, no action has been taken to replace the contaminated rice. She added that the insects are being removed before cooking the meals, but this approach is still not entirely satisfactory for the students’ health and well-being.
As a result, the municipal administration has instructed the school’s headmistress to ensure that the contaminated rice is not used in the meals. However, parents remain deeply upset after hearing about the incident, as they fear that their children may fall ill due to consuming such contaminated food regularly.
The lack of swift action and appropriate solutions to address the issue of poor quality mid-day meals is causing heightened frustration among parents and guardians. They are now urging the concerned authorities to take the matter seriously and implement strict measures to ensure the provision of safe and nutritious meals for the students.
