Now, egg must in midday meal
With the reports that egg is not supplied in some schools as part of midday meal programme, Commissioner of School Education has strictly instructed the headmasters of all the government schools in the State to provide egg three times a week to the students without fail.
Hyderabad: With the reports that egg is not supplied in some schools as part of midday meal programme, Commissioner of School Education has strictly instructed the headmasters of all the government schools in the State to provide egg three times a week to the students without fail.
Issuing instructions in this regard, the Commissioner said that midday meal scheme is being implemented in all the government, local body, aided, model and Madrasa schools to the students studying from first to tenth classes.
The Commissioner said that though the government had directed the school headmasters to include egg in the midday meal programme, this was not implemented. On the other hand the menu prescribed by the government was also not followed.
Informing about the menu to be followed in the schools, he said that on Monday egg and sambar should be provided. On Tuesday vegetables, on Wednesday dal, vegetables and egg, on Thursday sambar, on Friday egg and vegetables, and on Saturday dal with vegetables should be provided.
The headmasters were told to take necessary steps to supply egg in coordination with National Egg Coordination Committee. The supply of egg as part of midday meal has been made mandatory to provide nutritious food to the students. Not supplying egg thrice in week would deny the very objective of midday meal programme.
Reports on midday meal say that egg has been denied by some agencies involved in supplying the food on the grounds of religious beliefs. Considering egg as non-vegetarian these agencies are refusing to supply it. The schools have been accepting supply of food by these agencies as the government did not make it mandatory to supply egg as part of midday meal scheme.
With the latest instructions supply of egg would be mandatory irrespective of religious beliefs of supply agencies. As part of providing egg the district purchase committees should fix the rates for supply of it as per the budget provisions. The NAAC business manager has been made as the coordinator for the programme.
Apart from providing egg, the headmasters should display the menu everyday on the notice board and the prepared food should be tasted by the headmaster or designated teacher before it is supplied to the students.
The food supplied in midday meal should be hot with 65 degrees temperature, certified commodities should be used, water should be procured from protected sources, and enough light should be there in the cooking place.
Food should be supplied within half an hour of cooking so that it would not get contaminated. Leafy vegetables should not be used during the rainy season and drinking water should be tested.
