Panel cites low payment for 'poor' mid-day meal

HYDERABAD: The Telangana government, which has substantially enhanced the mess charges being paid to students of residential schools and welfare hostels by 40% since November 1, resulting in improved diet for them, has started taking measures to improve the quality of food being provided to students under the mid-day meal scheme in the state-run schools across the state, officials familiar with the matter said.

- Srinivasa Rao Apparasu

After a series of food poisoning incidents in various government schools in the state, the Telangana education commission headed by retired IAS officer Akunuri Murali made an extensive study of the conditions prevailing in the schools in the implementation of the mid-day meals scheme.

The commission, comprising senior academics, toured all the districts and inspected government schools, Kasurba Gandhi Balika Vidyalayas and residential schools and completed its study on December 8. They interacted with students and identified problems in the implementation of the mid-day meals scheme, which covers 2,036,000 students across 26,519 government schools in the state.

"The committee is expected to submit a report to the government this week along with its recommendations," an official in the school education department, who preferred anonymity, said.