Margao – You were questioned Chief Minister Dr. Pramod Sawant by me in the last Assembly Session. Health Minister Vishwajit Rane replied to me that FDA do not assess nor check nutritional value of Mid-Day Meals. Health Minister also revealed that Education Department has Nil details of Nutritional Value of Meals, charged Leader of Opposition Yuri Alemao.
Reacting to the statement made by the Chief Minister that Opposition questions him only on bills and payments of Self Help Groups providing Mid-Day Meals and not on Quality, Yuri Alemao stated that BJP Government is now targetting Self Help Groups to bring in outside agencies.
LAQ reply by Education Department states that two Nutritional Experts are working in the Department with a mandate to check Kitchens of Mid-Day Meal providers for hygiene & sanitation purpose. What were these Experts doing all these days? Why you need Citizens to remind you of quality? questioned Yuri Alemao.
Although after public ire, FDA has acted against the Self Help Group for supplying Wormy Food to Students, action needs to be taken on those who failed to perform their duties. Responsibilities need to be fixed & stringent action needs to be taken against Officials too. You cant selectively target only the Self Help Group, claimed Yuri Alemao.
It is the duty of the Government to monitor the food preparation and distribution network of Mid-Day meals. Education Government is equally responsible for the lapse, said Yuri Alema