Tamluk, April 30: The East Midnapore administration has directed officials in 25 blocks to visit schools and inspect the quality of food being served in midday meals and whether proper hygiene is being maintained.
The supervisors will start visiting the 3,262 primary schools in the district from May 2.
District magistrate Rashmi Kamal said the move followed several complaints that the reports submitted on midday meals until now did not always reflect the true picture.
"We have received many complaints about the reports being incorrect. There are allegations that the reports are often drawn up without the supervisors visiting the schools," Kamal said.
The DM said a mobile application had been developed to help monitor the quality of food being served to the children and the 30 supervisors in 25 blocks and five municipalities had been provided with phones installed with the system.
"The supervisors will now have to visit the primary schools during midday meals. They will have to take photographs of the food, the kitchen, the students having meals and washing their hands with soap before eating. The photographs will have to be uploaded on the app that was launched by the DM yesterday," an official said.
The DM said when she was inaugurating the app, Pushti, yesterday, she had received information that "a primary school in Panskura is not serving midday meals for the past few days, but the supervisor's report says that midday meal is being given regularly".
Deputy magistrate Soumen Maity, who is in charge of midday meals in the district, said: "We have served show-cause notices to some supervisors accused of being negligent in their duties. But we don't want to take any drastic action as that will not solve the problem. Now, they will have to visit the schools and upload photographs on the app."
Arup Bhowmik, district secretary of the West Bengal Primary Teachers' Association, said: "The administration's step is good. But I feel the funds provided for midday meals should be increased."
At present, Rs 4.13 is allotted for each primary school student for midday meal a day.
