Students were in for a rude shock on Tuesday when they found maggots in their midday meals, and unfortunately, a few students even consumed part of the meal by the time that realisation dawned that something was wrong. The FDI swiftly collected samples of the infested food for testing and inspected the kitchen of the self-help group. A report is expected to be submitted, following which the education department states that it will decide on the course of action.
On Wednesday, however, the unthinkable happened, and the Director of Education, Shailesh Zingade, disclosed that based on the FDA directions, the self-help group was allowed to continue food supplies to students. The Utkarsh Women’s Self-Help group based in Mangueshi supplies mid-day meals to 40 schools spread across Savoi Verem, Volvoi and Keri areas of Ponda taluka.
What is appalling is the complete breakdown of checks and balances set up for mid-day meals. The protocol is that a school teacher and one member of the Parents-Teachers Association are entrusted with the responsibility of tasting food supplied before being served to students. The system of food checks is failing because neither the school representative nor the PTA member has done their job, and both have to be hauled up, too.
The sheer carelessness of the Self-Help Group is also being exposed here. It is their responsibility to ensure that clean and hygienic food is served. The contention that soya chunks which were infested were sourced from Mardol is not an acceptable argument.
Moreover, it is surprising that the FDA has asked for 14 days to submit its report, and according to the education director, the FDA has given permission to continue. This is ridiculous and suspicious. Prima facie, there is a case of maggot-infested food, and the FDA allow the SHG to continue till a report is out, while the education department plays a mute spectator, pushing the onus on the FDA.
The turn of events only expose the lack of concern for hygienic food and nutrition. With the Akshaya Patra Foundation knocking on Goa’s doors and the State government showing inclination, one expected the Self-Help Groups to up their game and leave no margin for error. This incident has only demonstrated that food quality is still not the priority.
In the recently concluded assembly session, Chief Minister Pramod Sawant, who is also the Education Minister, told the House that mid-day meals will be subjected to FDA tests, and those SHGs not meeting the standards will be asked to discontinue supply. The FDA was told to take a sample test of meals supplied in all talukas, and even legislators of respective constituencies were asked to randomly check for quality.
For all these checks, one would expect a consistent supply of quality food, and it has to be that way. Students cannot be served stale or contaminated food even for a single day. And here we are, living through a situation that could have been catastrophic, waiting for the system to decide while students remain traumatised. The inconsistency in food will only develop into some kind of phobia among the students for mid-day meals.
