Kids see insects in mid-day meal, food perfect says school principal

INDORE: Insects were reportedly found in mid-day meal served at a government girls school in Banganga area of the city on Wednesday. Though the girls refused to eat the food, district officials were quick enough to give a clean chit to the agency which supplied the food. They maintained that the insects had crawled in the food while the children were having their meal sitting on the ground.
The incident occurred when children were served rice and dal at government girl school number 26 under the government’s programme to offer free lunch to students.
School principal Shaligram Malvia said some students started throwing their foods in garbage and on being asked they complained about presence of insects in the rice. “We instantly informed officials concerned and inspected the food,” said Malvia.
A team of officials of Indore Municipal Corporation (IMC) and district administration reached the school and inspected the food. They also interacted with the students and offered a clean chit to the agency serving the food.
“The team even inspected food thrown by the students in the garbage but no insects were found. I too had the food. It perfectly fine,” said Malvia.
The school principal said that the students normally sit on ground and it is possible that insects might have crawled in their plates.
A Hyderabad-based NGO, Naandi Foundation is supplying meal to children of 1,833 schools in Indore division. The agency was criticized from time to time for poor quality food. In past several incidents of insects in mid-day meal supplied by Nandi Foundation have been reported.
RS Pandey of Naandi Foundation said nothing was wrong with the food and they have not received any complaint.
MP’s unsavoury mid-day meal
*June 19, 2009: A lizard is found in lunch served to kids at a primary government school at Neelkanth colony in Indore district. School help Kamla Bai spots the reptile and informs principal Badrinarayan Rathore, who stops the food from being served. He informs the NGO Nandi Foundation that distributes the meal.
*July 13, 2011: A scorpion-like insect is found in dal served as mid-day meal in primary school no. 43 in Chimanbagh area of the city. Authorities immediately stop serving the meal to the students.
*July 25, 2013: Students of Urdu Girls Primary School in Khandwa district find caterpillars in the midday meal served to them. The students spot caterpillars in cooked rice before it is served to them.