CAG flags deficiencies in mid-day meal scheme in Punjab

Chandigarh, Sep 16 (PTI) The CAG has flagged severaldeficiencies in the mid-day meal scheme in schools of Punjablike unhygienic cooking conditions and inferior quality offood. In its latest performance audit report, the governmentauditor found schoolchildren themselves washing utensilsdespite cook-cum-helpers hired to do the job. Besides this, it was revealed that there was no testingof water samples, no use of gloves by cooks while cooking andviolation of prescribed menu under the scheme. The audit report observed that due to non-establishmentof centralised kitchens in Amritsar and Patiala districts, thequality of food served under the scheme was not beingmaintained as per norms. CAG, while citing examples, found unhygienic ‘roti’making conditions in Amritsar. In Patiala, poor quality ‘roti'(bread) was being served to children and boiled potato wasserved against the prescribed menu of potato with black gram. In Amritsar, Patiala and Sangrur, while 83 to 88 per centof children consumed mid-day meal cooked in school premises,only 72 to 79 per cent consumed MDM prepared by NGOs which wasindicative of the poor quality of food being prepared by NGOs,the report said. 603 cook-cum-helpers (CCH) were engaged in centralisedkitchens run by NGOs in eight districts for preparation anddelivery of MDM in 1,501 primary and upper primary schools.320 CCHs were engaged in the schools for serving MDM tochildren and washing utensils, it said. It was also found that meals were not being served andutensils were not being cleaned by the CCHs engaged by NGOs.PTI CHS ARKSMN