TEAM HERALD
PANJIM: With students reluctant to eat the mid-day meals served in school in several talukas, in the wake of the Canacona food poisoning incident, the education department has begun the exercise of assessing the response to the existing scheme.
Sources in the education department say that institutions have been asked to inform the department of the actual number of children who consume the mid-day meals.
The additional director education, Anil Powar speaking to Herald said, “We intend to conduct a survey on this aspect,” adding that plans are in the offing to change the menu under the scheme.
The mid-day meals in their present form has become unpopular among children following the Canacona food poisoning incident and there is growing pressure on the government to stop the scheme.
Being a central scheme and mandatory for state governments to implement the same, Powar said, “We are taking experts on board to work out a new menu and add to the nutritional value of the items served.”
The catering institute and the college of home science have been contacted and asked to assist the government on this issue.
In the meantime the catering institute has been conducting workshops for self help groups on hygiene.
