AGARTALA/KHOWAI, May 14 (TIWN): Tripura’s inept governance not only made life miserable for general population but even for little children in schools. On yet another bizarre incident on Thursday, the students of Anganwadi centre at Khowai fell ill after mid-day meal as huge amount of dead insects were found at their mid-day meal curry. Later the guardians alongwith the locals locked the Anganwadi centre leaving it suspended for the day. The insects were detected while the children of Khowai Purba Gankul Nazrul Polli Anganwadi were served with their regular mid-day meal Khichudi. After getting alarmed the concerned Child Development Project Officer (CDPO) Dinesh Debbarma alongwith two supervisors rushed to the spot and conducted an enquiry to the tragedy. Derbbarma said, “The mid-day meal served to the children today were detected with some dead insects".Talking to TIWN in this regard Education Minister Tapan Chakroborty said, “Of course a disciplinary action would be taken against the accused staffs who had cook the mid-day meal because the govt. would not compromise with low quality mid-day meal meant for children.”

Adding to that he said, “The department after conducting a healthy investigation to the matter would of course take disciplinary action against the cook Basanti Debnath and the Anganwadi worker Chaya Rani Paul.”

The locals along with some pregnant women who went to the centre to have the mid-day meal alleged that some dead insects were spotted in the mid-day meal but the government of DEO (District Education Officer)doesn't seem bothered by this situation inspite of registering several complaints against it. 

“It is unbelievable that the rice containing insects had reached the Anganwadi centre from the godown,” adding Debbarma said, “I had already directed the concerned staffs of the centre to cook quality rice for the children that has been given fresh to the centre this month.”

He also said that might be the cook has cooked the old rice that contained insects due to which the mid-day meal curry cooked on Thursday were detected with dead insects, said Debbarma.

However later he said that the department after knowing the reason of the tragedy would take necessary action against the concerned staffs.

But, most surprisingly the Anganwadi children had already taken the mid-day meal detected with dead insects served on Thursday as usual. Later after some pregnant women came to the centre had found some dead insects in the curry.

Besides, on yet another surprising issue, the mid-day meal was found cooked by only boiling the rice. Locals alleged that the cook Basanti Debnath always nourish the children with such low quality mid-day meal.

They also alleged today that inspite of taking the matter with the local CPI-M party office several times, no steps has been taken yet today as a result the concerned staffs at the Anganwadi centre has been playing their filthy role.  

It is worthy to mention here that reports of students falling prey to unhygienic food from across the state, is on the rise. But state administrations are still clueless to find a viable solution to curb this menace.
States need to focus in this regard as there is dire need to review the performance of the kitchen-cum-stores to ensure safety, hygiene and quality of food.

According to the experts, accountability needs to be fixed and heads should be rolled if any laxity is discovered. Teachers should be penalised for not eating the food before serving it to kids. It is a simple logic that teachers and workers would show more cautiousness if their own lives are at risk.