Pics: Mounesh Vishwakarma
Daijiworld Media Network - Bantwal (RD/CN)

Bantwal, Oct 4: A large stock of expired and rotten ‘toor dal’ was found in the stores of a government-run school in the taluk here on Monday October 4. The students of Sajipanadu Government Higher Primary School were spared the trauma of food poisoning due to the presence of mind of the local people’s representative. 

The dal was unfit for consumption and was intended to be used for the mid-day meal at the school. The students complained to their parents for over a week. The issue was discussed during the meeting of the school development committee and was brought to the notice of the local gram panchayat. The head of the gram panchayat advised the school headmaster to take appropriate action to solve the issue. Despite this, the complaints of the students were not addressed.

Sajipanadu gram panchayat president S K Mohammed, secretary Sudhir, vice-president Cecilia Vaz, members Abdul Sattar and Somanath, school development committee president Abbas, district Congress minority wing vice-president S Abubakker Sajipanadu and others arrived at the school to inspect the grains stored in the mid-day meal kitchen. 

The surprise check yielded 10 sacks of toor dal which had bits of stone and worms. They have collected samples from such sacks to bring the issue to the notice of higher officers of the education department. They alleged that the grains were unfit for human consumption and were being provided to the students displaying total disregard for their health. 

The people’s representatives were denied information by the school headmaster and they lodged a complaint with Sudhakar, Block Education Officer (BEO).

The people’s representatives took to task Srikant, ‘Akshara Dasoha’ project officer, when he arrived at the school. 

Provision of mid-day meals is a state project intended to encourage students to continue their schooling. However, due to the lethargy of a few department officers there have been many instances of food poisoning caused by sub-standard grains and pulses that go into preparing the meals.