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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Raipur (PTI): Amid reports of shortage of commercial LPG cylinder in several parts of the country due to the US-Israel-Iran conflict, Chhattisgarh Chief Minister Vishnu Deo Sai on Tuesday assured people that they need not worry about the availability of cooking gas in the state.
He asserted that adequate stock of LPG as well as petrol and diesel was available in the state.
Sai said in a statement that authorities have been directed to regularly monitor stock at gas agencies and keep a close watch on the supply chain. Necessary instructions were issued to officials in all districts to ensure a smooth supply of LPG.
The chief minister instructed officials to take strict action if any complaint of black marketing or hoarding of LPG cylinders is received.
Sai urged state residents not to pay attention to rumours and to book cooking gas cylinders as per their actual requirement.
The government was fully alert to ensure the availability of essential commodities to citizens, he emphasised.
Meanwhile, the Chhattisgarh Hotel and Restaurant Association has issued an advisory to hotels, restaurants, caterers and other food businesses across the state, urging them to maintain calm and avoid panic buying.
In the advisory, Taranjeet Singh Hora, president of the association, asked members to maintain coordination and immediately inform it about any major disruption in LPG supply.
He cautioned businesses against hoarding cylinders, saying such practices could worsen the situation for the entire hospitality sector.
The association advised hotels and restaurants to prioritise essential kitchen operations, core menu items and already committed banquet events.
Use electric cooking equipment wherever possible for emergency and staff kitchens such as induction cooktops, electric hot plates, electric rice cookers and kettles, the advisory stated.
