Health department raids govt schools to check quality of food

The Bihar incident has also led to panic among students and their parents in the state. Thursday saw several students repeatedly asking their teachers about the quality of the meal before having the same. “So many children have died after consuming midday meal,we wanted to confirm whether ours was all right?” a student in a government school at Basti Nau area of Jalandhar said.

Another student at the government school in Abadpura area,added: “Our parents are worried about the food quality. They have told us to speak to the teacher before having it.” According to sources,some school even saw teachers tasting the midday meal before it was given the children.

A visit to various schools further revealed that food items were kept in unhygienic conditions. “We don’t have a proper place to keep the food and because of the rainy season,there are too many insects,” said a teacher in Kishan Pura area. In most schools,meals were also being served in the open with flies all around. Moreover,there was no soap available for students to wash their hand before eating.