New Delhi: The Delhi government on Monday asked food safety officials to shut down the midday meal kitchens where hygiene is found “too lacking”.
Nine students of a public school were taken ill after a dead rat was found in the meal served to them. The Aam Aadmi Party government is in the eye of the storm, with the BJP and Congress mounting attack on the ruling party after the police said that the students consumed meals supplied by the NGO run by an AAP MLA’s father-in-law.
Food safety commissioner Mrinalini Darswal has asked the officials to visit all midday meal kitchens to take stalk of the hygiene and cleanliness standards.
“After inspection, they are directed to fill up the inspection format completely and, if required, improvement notices be issued. If hygiene is found to be too lacking, kitchen may be ordered to shut down,” Ms Darswal said.
The food safety department has directed all NABL-accredited empanelled private labs to test surveillance samples from midday meal kitchens allotted to them. The samples will have to pass the standards laid down by the government’s food safety norms.
It has also asked the labs to do microbiological testing of food and cooking water samples. “Non-compliance will be viewed seriously,” the commissioner said in the Monday order.
The government said it will soon launch a mobile application to assist the members of school management committees (SMCs) in their functioning. The SMCs have 16 members, each comprising a teacher, a principal, an MLA, a social activist and 12 parents.
Last year, the AAP dispensation had directed the SMCs to ensure a bigger role for parents in the running of schools.
“The app will help the management bodies to connect with the SMC members and be updated on issues pertaining to the functioning of the schools,” a Delhi government official said. Besides SMC members, officials of the directorate of education and other departments concerned will have access to the application.
Last year, the AAP dispensation had directed the SMCs to ensure a bigger role for parents in the running of schools.
