Gujarat: Dead rat found in mid-day meal in school

A teacher spotted the rat in the food before it was served to the students.

Ahmedabad, April 19: A dead rat was on Wednesday found in the mid day meal at a government-run primary school in Jamla village in Kalol taluka of Gandhinagar district, just before the food was to be served to the students, officials said.

The incident took place at Jamla Adarsh Primary School and the government has ordered an inquiry into the matter.

"A dead rat was found in the mid-day meal supplied to the school. The teacher spotted the rat in the food before it was served to the students," Commissioner of Mid-day Meal, R G Trivedi, said.

Congress MLA from Mansa constituency, Amit Chaudhary, who rushed to the village after learning about the incident, said, "When a teacher took out the food for tasting before serving it to students, he noticed the tail of a rat in his food. When he opened the container, a dead rat was found in it. Luckily for students, the rat was found before the food was served to them."

"Incidentally, Jamla Adarsh Primary School was declared as a model school by the state government. There are 242 students in the school," he said.

Chaudhary said that nearby schools to which the food was to be supplied, were informed and food was not served to those students as well. The food is supplied to government-run primary schools by NGO Akshay Patra.

Soon after learning about this, district officials, including the deputy collector and mamlatdar went to the school to investigate the matter. Trivedi said, "The mid-day meal food prepared by the same supplier was also supplied to the schools in three adjoining talukas, but no complaint was received from there. We have sought a report from the district administration as to how the dead rat landed in the food. We will take action after getting the report."

PTI