Odisha to set up squads to check quality of midday meals

Squads will be set up in district and block levels, says School and Mass Education minister Rabi Narayan Nanda

Worried over students falling ill after eating mid-day meals in schools in the state, the Odisha government today decided to set up squads to check the quality of food being served to pupils.

A high-level meeting presided over by Chief Minister Naveen Patnaik decided that the squads would be set up in district and block levels, School and Mass Education minister Rabi Narayan Nanda said.

In the meeting it was decided that a member of the school committee, the cook and an assistant would first eat the cooked food in presence of the head master. "Thereafter, the food will be served to the students." Nanda said.

A third party would check the quality of food being served 300 schools every year. The meeting resolved to build kitchens in all schools.

Of the 63,531 schools, 36,000 have special kitchens, Nanda said.