Udupi: Stones, paddy seeds aplenty in rice supplied to schools

Daijiworld Media Network - Udupi (EP)

Udupi, Aug 2: Of late, questions have cropped up with regard to the quality of mid-day meals supplied in schools. The fact that children in schools across India, especially Bihar, have been falling ill after consuming mid-day meals has further amplified the issue.

A few days back, a rat was found in the sambar served in a school in Mangalore. Now, a look at the quality of rice in schools in Udupi has shown that it is nothing to be happy about.

Apparently, large amount of stones and paddy seeds are being found in the rice that is being supplied to schools for mid-day meal in Udupi.

The rice that is being supplied in sacks and labelled as Gmt rice, Harihara, and Firozpura is apparently adulterated with white stones, black stones, and a large amount of paddy seeds.

The teachers and staff of the schools have to spend a lot of time segregating the rice from the adulterated stuff in it. 

There are about one lac students, each consuming about 150 grams of rice in mid day meals in the district. About 150 quintals of rice is required per day.  The rice gets supplied once in three or four months to the schools.

The adulteration of rice has increased during June and July, this year. The rice is being supplied from Bharat Food Supplies and a legal notice has already been sent to them. There is also a provision to send the rice back to them in case of complaints, as per assistant director of Aksharadasoha project, Seetharam Shetty. He added that a random sack of rice in the consignment will be picked for verification before dispatching to the schools in the future.

He assured the media that the entire rice consignments will be returned if such instances recur.