PANAJI: Schools across Savoi Verem, Volvoi and Keri areas in Ponda taluka reported the presence of worms in Tuesday’s midday meals. Officials at the directorate of education (DoE) said that the assistant district education inspector (ADEI) for Ponda taluka has been asked to submit a report and follow SoPs, including making stop-gap arrangements to supply dry snacks to students till the completion of the inquiry.
The Utkarsh Women’s Self-Help Group based in Mangueshi supplied pulao with soya bean chunks to government primary, and government and aided high schools in Savoi Verem, Volvoi and Keri.
Some students had allegedly already eaten the food by the time the worms were noticed. However, officials said that most of the students were yet to eat the meal and that, fortunately, no adverse effects were reported among those who ate the food.
The worms appeared to be mainly in the soya chunks, and sources said that the women of the self-help group said that they had procured the soya bean chunks from a single store. They did not notice the worms until pointed out by the schools.
FDA officials later collected samples of the contaminated food for testing, sources said.
“As per the procedure, the ADEI has visited the kitchen of the self-help group, and the inquiry report will be sent by Wednesday,” said an official. “Until the inquiry is complete, as per the procedure, students will be supplied with dry snacks, and the self-help group will not be allowed to provide cooked meals.”
Meanwhile, parents expressed anger over the incident and called for strict action against those responsible for the serious neglect.
As per procedure, a representative from the school and a member of the parent-teacher association (PTA) have to taste the midday meals before serving them to students.
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