Lizard found near mid-day meal, Sisodia vows action
New Delhi, July 9 : Just two days after girls from an MCD school were hospitalised after eating their mid-day meals, a video on Monday surfaced online, showing cobwebs on the roof and a lizard near unpacked food at a mid-day meal centre here.
Deputy Chief Minister Manish Sisodia, along with some officers, was out on an early morning surprise inspection of two mid-day meal base kitchens when this incident occurred.
Sisodia warned the suppliers and workers of the kitchen: "This is how accidents happen... No lizard or cobwebs should be seen around food."
After finding irregularities in safety precautions taken to prepare the meals, Sisodia said he would now be doing regular inspections of kitchens in Delhi and will take "strict action" against any carelessness.
"After the incident where two girls had to be hospitalised after eating mid-day meals in their school, I have decided to conduct regular inspections of kitchens from now on," Sisodia told reporters during the inspection.
Warning the kitchen workers of strict action, Sisodia said: "The work of preparing meals for children should be carried out responsibly and with a sense of service. All irregularities like not wearing gloves and not covering shoes should be taken care of."
On July 7, two girls were admitted to the Lal Bahadur Shastri Hospital after eating the mid-day meal served in their school. After receiving a complaint about a lizard found in the meal, Sisodia visited the MCD school and terminated the contract of the supplier.
The food vendor was charged with negligence under section 336 of the Indian Penal Code (IPC) after the school principal lodged a police complaint.
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13 lakh litres of 'Rail Neer' supplied to train passengers daily: Government
New Delhi (PTI): Approximately 13 lakh litres of packaged drinking water -- 'Rail Neer' -- are being supplied to train passengers across the railway network daily, the government informed the Lok Sabha in a written reply on Wednesday.
Apprising the Lower House about the Indian Railways' endeavour to provide safe and potable drinking water facilities at all stations, the government also provided zone-wise details of the water vending machines (WVMs) installed there.
"To ensure the quality of drinking water being made available at the railway stations, instructions exist for periodical checking and required corrective action to be taken.
"Regular inspection and maintenance of drinking water facilities is carried out and complaints are attended to promptly," Railway Minister Ashwini Vaishnaw said while responding to a question raised by BJP MP Anup Sanjay Dhotre seeking to know the supply of drinking water at railway stations across the country
"Complaints regarding deficiency in services, including water supply, are received through various channels such as public complaints, web portals, social media, etc. These complaints are received at various levels, including the Railway Board, zonal railways, division office, etc.," Vaishnaw said.
"The complaints so received are forwarded to the concerned wings of Railways and necessary action is taken to check and address them. As receipt of such complaints and action taken thereon is a continuous and dynamic process, a centralised compendium of these is not maintained," he added.
Providing zone-wise details of water vending machines, the minister said 954 such machines have been installed across railway stations.
"The Indian Railways also provides safe and affordable packaged drinking water bottles -- Rail Neer -- approved by the Bureau of Indian Standards (BIS) in trains and at stations," Vaishnaw said.
"Approximately, 13 lakh litres of Rail Neer are being supplied per day to the travelling passengers in trains and at stations across the Indian Railways network," he added.
