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LATEST NEWS UPDATES | Food lab mission for safer midday meal-ASRP Mukesh

Food lab mission for safer midday meal-ASRP Mukesh

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published Published on Jul 21, 2013   modified Modified on Jul 21, 2013
-The Telegraph


What happened in Bihar won't happen in Jharkhand, promise mandarins.

Jolted out of slumber by the midday meal tragedy at a government primary school in Saran that claimed 23 children earlier this week, the lone food-testing laboratory of the state in Ranchi is considering an expansion of its ambit to cover all cradle kitchens.

If lab officials are to be believed, a proposal to keep regular tabs on midday meals being served in primary and middle schools is on the anvil. State food controller T.P. Burnwal has convened a meeting in the capital on August 2 to draw up an execution plan.

"Until now, schools were never put under lens, but as far as I know, they do come under our jurisdiction when it is a question of quality of meals and hygiene. At the forthcoming meeting with our district representatives, we will discuss how to bring school lunch under the scanner," Burnwal said.

The food controller conceded that theirs was a belated initiative, but blamed infrastructure shortcomings as the key impediment. "We can no longer take risks," he said.

Sources pointed out that the tragedy in Bihar was not just a simple case of food poisoning, but the compound effect of decades of neglect despite missives from central regulatory agencies on upgrading school infrastructure to ensure cleanliness and hygiene.

The situation is no less appalling in Jharkhand's schools.

A visit to any state-run cradle in the capital will expose the unhygienic conditions in which food is prepared and served. No wonder lizards, worms and snakes make their way to children's platter.

On November 13, 2008, poisonous milk served at Baridih residential school in Bero block, about 40km from Ranchi, had claimed five students. Around 170 students had fallen seriously ill.

Alarmed by the deaths in Bihar, the state HRD department had on Wednesday asked deputy commissioners to ensure quality meals. The panchayati raj department, on the other hand, spoke of fresh orders on maintaining chakhni panji or taste registers.

But, technically speaking, tasting food doesn't guarantee safety. "What if the teacher who tastes the food falls ill too. Midday meals need to be tested, not just tasted," argued a lab official. "So, we are planning to expand our ambit. We will test school lunch as a precautionary measure. Logistics and manpower are big constraints, but a beginning can certainly be made," he added.

Given that tall claims and dwarf actions have always been Jharkhand's way, only time will tell whether the food lab is able to make a difference.

Lens on prison plate

The state food lab is also taking proactive steps to ensure proper meals in jails.

It is learnt that IG (prisons) Ashok Kumar had shot letters to lab officials, seeking sampling of inmate food, which were never subjected to tests in Jharkhand's history though there have been a few instances of food poisoning.

Additional chief medical officer of Ranchi Dr S.N. Gupta confirmed that the first lot of samples was collected from Birsa Munda Central Jail on Thursday.

Will the promise of safe school lunch ring hollow?

Tell ttkhand@abpmail.com


The Telegraph, 20 July, 2013, http://www.telegraphindia.com/1130720/jsp/jharkhand/story_17134629.jsp#.Uer1SKzcjco


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