Mid-day meal: Hygiene goes for a toss

Hina Rohtaki

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Tribune News Service

Panchkula, April 8

Garbage strewn around, flies hovering over eatables and a kitchen infested with cockroaches and rats. This is a usual scenario where mid-day meals are prepared for students in government schools of Panchkula. The prevailing unhygienic conditions are a wake-up call for the authorities.

In a reality check by Chandigarh Tribune team at three government schools in Panchkula — Government School at Budanpur, Government Primary School in Haripur and Government School in Sector 4, the deplorable conditions in which meals are prepared was a shocker.

At the Government School in Budanpur, meals were being prepared under damp walls and dripping ceilings. When the two stores where the ration is kept were inspected, the team came across a rodent in the wheat stock. Also, rice — stored in a dingy stench-emitting room — was of inferior quality.

School in-charge Nirmal expressed her helplessness while claiming that the authorities concerned had been informed several times but to no avail.

At the Government School in Haripur, flies could be seen hovering over utensils in which meals are prepared. The room was stinking and damp.

School in charge Vijay Kumari said, “As it is a village area, flies feeding on meals are a usual affair.”

She, however, said they made efforts to keep the area clean. The Aquaguard installed on the premises was a mere eyewash as it was non-functional.

Ironically, the then Chief Judicial Magistrate — who was the Secretary of District Legal Services Authority (DLSA) — had found unhygienic conditions at the school in 2013. He had subsequently sent a report to the then Panchkula Deputy Commissioner to take action in the matter. However, things have worsened at the school.

A similar scenario prevailed at the Government School in Sector 4.

On the issue, Panchkula District Education officer (DEO) Savitri Sihag said, “I will look into the issue.”

When the issue was brought to the notice of Panchkula Deputy Commissioner Vivek Atray, he said, “Just four days ago, we appointed officers to check the preparation of mid-day meals. For the last many months, there was nobody to check the conditions in which the meals were being prepared. I will get the issue sorted out by tomorrow.”