Several irregularities found in the implementation of midday meal scheme

Ongole: The officials from the Vigilance and Enforcement department in the Prakasam district inspected high schools in Addanki and found that there are several irregularities in the implementation of the midday meal programme.

The Regional Vigilance and Enforcement Officer M Rajani said that she and her team inspected Sri Prakasam Boys High School in Addanki and found that meal is prepared for only 70 boys instead of the 263 attended, and it is supplied to 110 boys. She said that those boys who are in the last of the queue are not served eggs and dal, but received only rice and pickle.

She said that there is no storeroom for the provisions and no water for drinking or for even for use in toilets. She also said that they inspected the Girls High School also found that food is prepared for only 125 girls when 464 girls are present in the school. She said that they observed that there were no stock and attendance registers maintained for the midday meals in these schools.

She said that the headmaster for the boys' high school, D Sudhakar claimed that only 70 students raised their hands for lunch and food prepared accordingly. But the students informed her that it is a regular practice for the headmaster to prepare only for 40 percent of the attendees and they go to lunch even before the bell rang so that they could get dal and egg on that day.

The RVEO also tasted the food prepared for the students and said that the quality of the food is reasonably good but it is not sufficient for the children. She announced that they are sending a report to the concerned officials for action on the headmasters of the schools.