Poor quality rice, watery dal for sarkari schools students

Hyderabad: For growth, children need proper nutritious food. But the food that is being served to the students of government schools in the city is of poor quality. The mid-day meals provided by Manna Trust (NGO) in association with the State government are not served as per the chart and students are only been served rice and dal or potato curry.

According to the government teachers, the food that is served to students is unhygienic and of low quality. Hence the students are not willing to have their meal. Teachers alleged that after the pandemic the quality of food has deteriorated. Eggs are served once a week that too sometimes rotten and no fruit is served to students. The quality of rice is very bad, PDS rice is being served and the dal that is been served is very watery and tasteless.

A teacher of Government High School, Secunderabad said, "Children are not getting enough nutritious food that is required. As per the chart, on Monday and Thursday, along with rice, egg and Sambar should be served, Tuesday and Friday vegetable curry should be served and Wednesday and Saturday dal and leafy vegetables should be served. But all this seem to preset just on the chart. We have complained many times and asked the officials to check the quality of meal that is been served."

Shyam Sunder, headmaster, Government High School, Borabanda said, "As per the chart, egg is supposed to be served twice a week but it is been served only once a week which are also of low-quality. The cost per child for mid-day meals must also be increased to Rs 10, as the State government pays Rs 4.97 per primary class student and Rs 7.45 for higher class students."

A teacher of Government High School, Somajiguda said, "Before the pandemic, food that we used to receive was of good quality but now the quality is not up to the mark. Due to the bad quality of the food, students do not want to have their meal. Rice is very mushy and daily only dal or potato curry is been served. Earlier thrice a week banana was served along with the meal but now they have stopped serving fruits. Many representations were given to the State government but no action has been taken to improve the food quality."