Odisha Govt asked Collectors to ensure quality Mid-day-meal in schools

Bhubaneswar: District Collectors have been asked to ensure quality and safety in the mid-day meal (MDM) programme.

They have also been directed to complete construction of safe and fireproof kitchens in schools within three months and ensure proper whitewashing and cleaning of the existing kitchens.

These directions were given by Chief Secretary Jugal Kishore Mohapatra over a videoconferencing held recently at the State Secretariat.

Secretary of School & Mass Education Usha Padhee outlined all the guidelines on kitchen cleanliness, hygienic storage of food items, quality control measures in case of local procurement of food stuffs, personal hygienic habits of cooks and students.

She urged the Collectors to provide smokeless Chulla to all MDM kitchens with available funds.

The Collectors were also asked to look into proper convergence of the departments, agencies and NGOs involved in the MDM process.

The Chief Secretary directed the Collectors to hold regular vigilance and monitoring committee meetings involving the respective MPs.

They were also asked to constitute steering-cum-monitoring committees at the district and block levels.

Available data show that at present 54,21,728 children from Classes-I to VIII in 63,531 Government and Government-aided schools are being provided MDM for six days in a week.

Provisions have been made to include egg curry twice a week, on Wednesday and Saturday.

India Education bureau.