West Bengal government fixes midday meal menu

West Bengal government has sent a circular to all district administrations for a fixed menu for midday meals in state-run schools, an official said on Saturday.

The move for the fixed menu comes days after a school in Hooghly district was found offering only boiled rice and salt to the students.

The School Education department in the circular sent to all district administrations told them to strictly maintain the menu and also gave a chart which specified on which date which type of food will be served, the official said.

Fish or egg should be served in the midday meal twice in a week. Soyabean and vegetables should be served on the other days, the circular said.

It said rice, dal, potato and vegetable curry would be served on Monday, rice, dal, egg or fish curry on Tuesday, rice, dal, mixed vegetable on Wednesday.

It said rice, fish or egg curry, vegetables will be served on Thursday, rice dal, potato curry on Friday and rice dal, soyabean and potato curry on Saturday.

All officials, in-charge of midday meals have been asked to instruct all local level officers, Education Supervisors to visit schools from August 24 to August 31 to monitor the midday meal is provided in a proper manner to the students.

After the school in Hooghly district was found serving only boiled rice and salt in a school in Hooghly district, Education minister Partha Chatterjee had said that the state government will do everything to ensure children get the proper kind of midday meal and there will be "zero tolerance" to any attempt to deprive children of their prescribed midday meal menu.