Cook Suspended Day After Worms Found In Rice In Karnataka Mid-Day Meal

A day after worms were found in the mid-day meal served to government schools in Karnataka's Koppal district, the district administration suspended the cook and two staff members for negligence.

Taking the incident seriously, district officials initiated immediate action. The Koppal Deputy Commissioner Suresh B Itnal conducted inspections of food supply godowns to review storage conditions and the quality of food grains and other materials supplied to schools.

Itnal inspected multiple storage facilities and checked the food items stocked there. Expressing strong displeasure, the Deputy Commissioner questioned officials on how such food could be served to children and whether they themselves would consume such meals.

When the mid-day meal was served in schools, the Deputy Commissioner also visited a government school to assess the situation on the ground. He inspected the kitchen and food preparation area at the government-aided school in Bisaralli village of Koppal taluk and interacted with students to gather feedback on the quality of meals being served.

Itnal, along with the Block Education Officer (BEO) and other senior district-level officials, was present during the inspection.

Speaking to NDTV, the deputy commissioner said, "It was reported that a worm was found in the mid-day meal in Nurptuga-aided schools. Today, I visited the school and had lunch there. There was nothing wrong today. During the local inquiry, it was found that on December 9, a worm was detected in the dal. The dal was infected and should have been disposed of, but due to confusion and negligence, it was used."

He added that the incident occurred due to the negligence of the cook and two subordinates, following which all three were suspended.

"The dal bag was dispatched to the school in October. The staff were supposed to follow the standard operating procedures, which they failed to do. I have instructed teams to conduct inspections across district schools and create awareness about SOPs to ensure such incidents do not recur," the Deputy Commissioner said.

Worm-infested rice discovered in midday meals has triggered serious concern among parents in Koppal district. 

The incident was reported on Tuesday at a government school in Bisaralli village of Koppal taluk, where school staff and students discovered worms in rice meant for preparing midday meals. Earlier, a similar incident had come to light at a government school in Muddenahalli village of Kushtagi taluk, raising fears of a recurring problem and potential health risks to students.

Officials said that rice for the scheme is supplied from multiple godowns across the district, while other ingredients such as dal, oil, and condiments are provided by designated agencies. Preliminary assessments suggest that poor-quality rice and dal may have been supplied by private contractors.