NDMC steps up midday meal monitoring in its schools

In the backdrop of a dead rat being found in food served at a government school here, the North Delhi Municipal Corporation has steeped up efforts to monitor and improve the quality of midday meal at its schools.
Director (Education) of NDMC, Krishan Kumar today inspected the kitchen of the NGO which supplies the meal to the schools.
The move by the civic body comes in the backdrop of nine students of a government school in Deoli area here, taking ill, after consuming the midday meal, which had a dead rat in it.
The incident yesterday prompted Deputy Chief Minister Manish Sisodia to direct the Chief Secretary to monitor cooking of midday meals served in Delhi schools.

"The quality of food in midday meal is tested every week by carrying out inspections of kitchens and schools which provide the food...Inspections were carried out during the months of October and December 2016 as well as part of the programme," an NDMC official said.
During inspection, both, quantity as well as quality of the meal is tested at school-level by a committee which includes the principal, a school teacher and parents of three students.
The meal is distributed to the students after 15 minutes of this testing, the official said.
"For maintaining and testing the quality of midday meal, the education department has entered into a contract with eight laboratories wherein four samples from different kitchens are sent for testing every month," Kumar said.