The recent raids by the Vigilance Department on Anganwadi Centres (AWCs) and Zilla Parishad High Schools brought to light not just the irregularities over there but also the poor quality of food being served, forcing children to bring their own lunch boxes and skip the mid-day meal.
The raids also brought to the fore the shoddy functioning of the AWCs and implementation of the mid-day meal scheme in the district, especially in the Agency areas.
Inspection of ZP High Schools at Gopalpatnam, Pendurthi and Vepagunta on April 15 revealed serious lapses in the implementation of the mid-day meal scheme. The officials found that edible oil was of inferior quality. They also found that rotten eggs were being used to prepare food for the students.
Poor quality
“Most of the boiled eggs being served for lunch were rotten. Teachers in the AWCs or other schools are supposed to check the quality of food before it is served. But they are not doing it. In a ZP High School, just 10% of the students are having mid-day meal and the remaining are bringing lunch from home. This shows how bad is the quality of food,” said K. Sravani, Deputy Superintendent of Police and in-charge Regional Vigilance and Enforcement Officer (RVEO).
This was not the first time the Vigilance Department found lapses in these centres. There were instances of delay in lunch at schools in the district. Children in the semi-urban and Agency areas were the worst-hit. In the Vigilance raids conducted on April 16 on the AWCs in Nakkapalle, Rolugunta, Sabbavaram and Kasimkota mandals, it was found that the in-charges and staff members were irregular and not maintaining prescribed timings at a few of them.
Serious shortcomings
The food served to the children should be prepared at the centre itself using LPG gas. But at some centres, it was found that the food was prepared at the helpers’ houses. At a few other centres, firewood was being used instead of LPG gas. Records too were not being maintained properly, said Inspector of Vigilance Department Mallikarjuna Rao.
The district has over 4,900 AWCs, where lakhs of children, pregnant women, and women with newborn babies are taken care of.
Ms.Sravani said the Vigilance Department would submit a report basing on which action would be initiated.
She said that the issue of supply of rotten eggs would be taken to the notice of the District Education Officer, who would initiate action against the contractor concerned.