Deputy CM Manish Sisodia inspects two kitchens

New Delhi: Two days after a dead lizard was found in a mid-day meal, deputy chief minister Manish Sisodia on Monday conducted surprise inspection in two kitchens in the city where the meals were being prepared for distribution in schools and warned the workers of strict action if any irregularities were found in future.

On Saturday, two girls were taken ill after having mid-day meal at a Delhi government school in East of Kailash, in which a dead lizard was allegedly found. “After the incident where two girls had to be hospitalised after eating mid-day meals in their school, I have decided to conduct regular inspections of kitchens from now on,” Mr Sisodia, who is also Delhi’s education minister, said during the inspection.

Warning the kitchen workers of strict action, he said, “The work of preparing meals for children should be carried out responsibly and with a sense of service. All irregularities like not wearing gloves and not covering shoes should be taken care of.” Mr Sisodia spotted lizard and cob webs on walls of one of the kitchen.

“This is how accidents happen. No lizard or cobwebs should be seen around food. Strict action will be taken if any such irregularities are found during further inspections,” he said.

The minister had last week terminated the food suppliers’ contract after dead lizard was found in the mid-day meal. The contractor was responsible for supplying mid-day meal to 61 government schools in Delhi.

On July 7, two girls were admitted to the Lal Bahadur Shastri Hospital after eating the mid-day meal served in their school. After receiving a complaint about a lizard found in the meal, Sisodia visited the MCD school and terminated the contract of the supplier.

The food vendor was charged with negligence under section 336 of the Indian Penal Code (IPC) after the school principal lodged a police complaint.

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