Fresh norms prescribed for TN breakfast & lunch scheme

CHENNAI: In a bid to provide hygienic and prescribed food to the students, the Tamil Nadu government has decided to give special attention by further monitoring the breakfast and noon meal schemes in the State.

The School Education Department's measures to provide extra attention to the scheme came against the backdrop of reports that few government schools were not adopting the required standard operating procedures.

A senior official from the School Education Department seeking anonymity, told DT Next that a fresh circular has been issued to all the government schools, which implements both breakfast and noon-meal schemes to the students.

Quoting the circular, the official said that the concerned teachers, who were in charge of taking care of both breakfast and noon meal distribution, should record that all the raw materials including rice, dhal, and vegetables that are procured should be as per the prescribed norms.

"In addition, all the foods should also be cooked hygienically by using clean water", he said adding "the management of the schools should also ensure that there should not be any wastage of food".

Stating that sudden inspection would be conducted to ensure proper implementation of the scheme, he said a monitoring team has been formed in each district, which will also appoint additional concerned persons to help them so that all the schools were inspected.

Recollecting the complaints that the storerooms in the schools that occupy food provisions were not properly maintained, he said, "all the provisions should be tightly packed so that rodents and other insects including ants should not spoil the items".

He said that students will also be given regular advice in the morning assembly session that before taking their food they could seek help from the concerned in-charge to once again clean their respective plates, which was kept for them, besides washing their hands properly at the same time.