Lok Sabha Question No. 247 (UNSTARRED), answered on 2019-06-24
Subject: Mid-Day Meal Scheme
Ministry: HUMAN RESOURCE DEVELOPMENT
Asked by: Rahul Ramesh Shewale, Bhartruhari Mahtab

## GOVERNMENT OF INDIA MINISTRY OF HUMAN RESOURCE DEVELOPMENT DEPARTMENT OF SCHOOL EDUCATION & LITERACY

## LOK SABHA UNSTARRED QUESTION NO. 247 TO BE ANSWERED ON 24.06.2019

## Mid-Day Meal Scheme

## 247. SHRI RAHUL RAMESH SHEWALE: SHRI BHARTRUHARI MAHTAB:

Will the Minister of HUMAN RESOURCE DEVELOPMENT be pleased to state:

- (a) the  number  of  complaints  received  by  the  Government  for  substandard  food quality  being  provided  in  Mid-Day  Meal  Scheme  during  each  of  the  last  three years and the current year, State/UT and Year-wise;
- (b) the  number  of  children  hospitalised  and  died  after  eating  such  food  across  the country during the said period, State/UT and Year-wise;
- (c) whether the Government has conducted any enquiry in this regard and if so, the details thereof and if not, the reasons therefor;
- (d) whether  the  Government  has  announced  any  compensation  to  the  parents  of children who have hospitalised and died after eating such mid-day meal during the said period and if so, the details thereof; and
- (e) the other corrective steps taken/ being taken by the Government in this regard?

## ANSWER MINISTER OF HUMAN RESOURCE DEVELOPMENT (SHRI RAMESH POKHRIYAL 'NISHANK')

- (a): A total number of 35 complaints from 15 States and UTs regarding substandard food quality have been reported during the last three years and current year. The States and UTs wise details of the complaints is at Annexure-I.
- (b) to (e):  A total number of 930 children were reported ill and none of them died after eating  such  food  in  the  country  during  the  last  three  years  and  current  year.    The State  and  UT-wise  details  are  given  at  Annexure-II.  The  overall  responsibility  for providing  cooked  and  nutritious  Mid  Day  Meal  to  the  eligible  children  lies  with State Governments and UTs Administrations. Respective State Governments and UT Administrations were requested to furnish Action Taken Report (ATR) in the matter. As per Action Taken Reports (ATRs) received from States and UTs, action such as issuing warning against the official responsible, terminating the contract of concerned  NGOs  /  Organisations,  initiating  criminal  proceedings  and  imposing penalties  against  the  defaulting  persons/organisations  have  been  taken  by  the concerned State Governments and UT Administrations.

In addition, to address the issue, the Government of India has issued guidelines on quality, safety and hygiene in school level kitchens to all the States and UTs. These guidelines, inter-alia, provide for instructions to schools to procure Agmark quality and branded items for preparation of mid day meals, tasting of meals by 2-3 adult members of School Management Committee including at least one teacher before serving  to  children  and  to  put  in  place  a  system  of  testing  of  food  samples  by accredited  laboratories.  Further,  the  MDM  Rules,  2015  provide  for  mandatory testing  of  food  samples  by  Government  recognized  laboratories  to  ensure  that  the meals meet nutritional standards and quality. The Government has also adopted an elaborate  monitoring  mechanism  at  Central,  State  and  District  levels  to  ensure quality food is served to children under the Scheme.

Annexure referred to in reply to part (a) of Lok Sabha Unstarred Question No. 247 for 24.06.2019 raised by Shri Rahul Ramesh Shewale, Shri Bhartruhari Mahtab regarding Mid-Day Meal scheme.

State/UT and year wise details of poor / sub standard food quality complaints reported under MDMS during the last three years and current year

| Sl. No.   | State/UT       | Substandard Food Quality complaints   | Substandard Food Quality complaints   | Substandard Food Quality complaints   | Substandard Food Quality complaints   | Total   |
|-----------|----------------|---------------------------------------|---------------------------------------|---------------------------------------|---------------------------------------|---------|
| Sl. No.   | State/UT       | 2016                                  | 2017                                  | 2018                                  | 2019 (as on 17.06.2019)               | Total   |
| 1         | Andhra Pradesh | 1                                     |                                       |                                       |                                       | 1       |
| 2         | Bihar          | 2                                     |                                       |                                       |                                       | 2       |
| 3         | Chhattisgarh   | 1                                     |                                       |                                       |                                       | 1       |
| 4         | Delhi          | 1                                     | 1                                     | 2                                     |                                       | 4       |
| 5         | Gujarat        |                                       | 1                                     | 1                                     |                                       | 2       |
| 6         | Haryana        | 1                                     | 1                                     |                                       |                                       | 2       |
| 7         | J&K            | 1                                     |                                       |                                       |                                       | 1       |
| 8         | Jharkhand      | 2                                     |                                       |                                       |                                       | 2       |
| 9         | Maharashtra    | 2                                     |                                       |                                       | 1                                     | 3       |
| 10        | Odisha         | 1                                     |                                       |                                       |                                       | 1       |
| 11        | Punjab         | 1                                     | 1                                     |                                       |                                       | 2       |
| 12        | Tamil Nadu     |                                       | 1                                     |                                       | 1                                     | 2       |
| 13        | Telangana      | 1                                     |                                       |                                       |                                       | 1       |
| 14        | Uttar Pradesh  | 5                                     | 1                                     | 3                                     |                                       | 9       |
| 15        | West Bengal    | 2                                     |                                       |                                       |                                       | 2       |
|           | Total          | 21                                    | 6                                     | 6                                     | 2                                     | 35      |

Annexure referred to in reply to part (b) to (e) of Lok Sabha Unstarred Question No. 247 for 24.06.2019 raised by Shri Rahul Ramesh Shewale, Shri Bhartruhari Mahtab regarding Mid-Day Meal scheme.

Number of Children reported ill after consuming substandard quality mid-day meal under MDMS during the last three years and current year

|        |                | Children reported ill   | Children reported ill   | Children reported ill   | Children reported ill   | Children reported ill   |
|--------|----------------|-------------------------|-------------------------|-------------------------|-------------------------|-------------------------|
| S. No. | States and UTs | 2016                    | 2017                    | 2018                    | 2019 (As on 17.06.2019) | Total                   |
| 1.     | Andhra Pradesh | 44                      | -                       | -                       | -                       | 44                      |
| 2.     | Bihar          | 54                      | -                       | -                       | -                       | 54                      |
| 3.     | Chhattisgarh   | 60                      | -                       | -                       | -                       | 60                      |
| 4.     | Delhi          | -                       | 9                       | 29                      | -                       | 38                      |
| 5.     | Gujarat        | -                       | -                       | 9                       | -                       | 9                       |
| 6.     | J&K            | 25                      | -                       | -                       | -                       | 25                      |
| 7.     | Jharkhand      | 259                     | -                       | -                       | -                       | 259                     |
| 8.     | Maharashtra    | 201                     | -                       | -                       | -                       | 201                     |
| 9.     | Odisha         | 8                       | -                       | -                       | -                       | 8                       |
| 10.    | Tamil Nadu     | -                       | 35                      | -                       | 43                      | 78                      |
| 11.    | Uttar Pradesh  | 153                     | 1                       | -                       | -                       | 154                     |
|        | Total          | 804                     | 45                      | 38                      | 43                      | 930                     |

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