‘Food grains in mid-day meal scheme substandard’

Senior Bharatiya Janata Party leader Eknath Khadse on Thursday alleged that the food grains used in the mid-day meal scheme and given to aanganwadi (residential schools for tribal children) students are of substandard quality.

Senior Bharatiya Janata Party leader Eknath Khadse on Thursday alleged that the food grains used in the mid-day meal scheme and given to aanganwadi (residential schools for tribal children) students are of substandard quality.

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“The food grains are of extremely low quality and detrimental to the health of the children,” the opposition leader alleged. The state government gets nearly Rs 900 crore from the Centre to feed children between the age group of one to five years in schools and aanganwadi’s across Maharashtra.

The food grains for this scheme are secured by the state through the Maharashtra State Cooperative Marketing Federation (MSCMF).

“The gram flour given to most schools is bitter. The bottles of multi-vitamin tablets given to the children are fungal infested,” Khadse said at a press conference. Khadse displayed the products used for the mid-day scheme. He demanded blacklisting of the MSCMF and called for cases being registered against officials under the Essential Commodities Act.

“Strict action should be taken against people involved in this scheme,” the leader said.