Berhampur, July 24: The district administration today ordered that the midday meal prepared by the Nandi Foundation, a Hyderabad-based organisation, should be tasted everyday before it is served to students of primary schools in the district.
“Ganjam collector Kishen Kumar has asked me to depute one officer to the kitchen of Nandi Foundation to check the cooking process everyday,” said Bijay Kumar Dash, sub-collector of Berhampur.
A committee has been constituted to implement the decision.
One earthworm was found in the midday meal prepared by the foundation at Tamaya Tank Road Primary School situated in front of the Biju Patnaik Park here two days ago.
In another incident on March 6, 40 students of two primary schools — Nodal Primary School and Upper Primary School — at Gothagaon village in Seragada block were taken ill allegedly after consuming the meals supplied by the foundation.
Some students had complained of nausea and stomach pain after having the noon meal and had to be rushed to hospitals at Hinjili and Seragada.
After that, the foundation was asked not to supply food in Seragada block.
The automated centralised kitchen for midday meal programme in schools was inaugurated here by chief minister Naveen Patnaik in December 2008.
This project is a public-private partnership initiative. It is said to be the largest automated centralised midday meal project for schools of the state.
It was a joint venture between the state government and the Nandi Foundation.
This project has come up at cost of Rs 94 lakh.
Half of it was funded by the state government through the Odisha Mining Corporation (OMC), while another half was invested by the Nandi Foundation.