Arun Singh
Early Times Report
Jammu, Nov 18: Health of the children studying in government run schools across the state is at risk, as the Education Department is ignoring the quality and safety parameters while providing the mid-day meals to the children.
According to Mid-Day Meal Scheme-2013 guidelines, it's mandatory for the Education Department to ensure safety and quality of the meals provided to the children in the government schools by engaging the Council of Scientific and Industrial Research institutes, National Accreditation Board for Laboratories, and recognized labs for carrying out the sample checking of the meal before serving it. Ironically, the Education Department has been overlooking the guidelines and did not carry out any exercise.
As a result, there was no assurance about the quality of food provided to the school children.
Sources said even the Education Department didn't follow the basic guideline, which stipulates that teachers and mothers of the children should be involved to ensure good, quality and wholesome food was served to children.
"This concept was very helpful to make sure the actual serving and eating undertaken in a spirit of togetherness under hygienic conditions and in an orderly manner, and food prepared was tasted by two to three adults, including at least one teacher, before it was served to children," they maintained. |
