Govt school in MP prepares its midday meals in a washroom

For the past two months, midday meals in a government school in a village in Madhya Pradesh’s Damoh district are being cooked in the school’s washroom, raising questions about the health and hygiene of students.

People familiar with the development said there are two government schools in Muda village, primary and middle, running on the same premises. A new school building was inaugurated in February but some of the construction work is still incomplete.

The primary school’s midday meal is being prepared in the old kitchen, whereas the middle school’s meal is being cooked in the washroom. The middle school has around 85 students.

The midday meal is being prepared here by a village self-help group. Cook Shakila said she had flagged the issue but school authorities

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directed her to prepare the meals in the washroom.

“I had cautioned them that it’s wrong but they did not listen to me,” she said.

School authorities, for their part, blame the contractor for not completing the building, including the kitchen shed. Brajesh Patel, who is officiating as principal, conceded that while the new school building was inaugurated, the kitchen shed is still incomplete.

“I have complained about the matter to the contractor and my seniors but there has been no solution. For the time being, the midday meal is being prepared in the washroom,” he said.

Sub divisional magistrate (SDM) Hata Narayan Singh said he will send an inquiry team to the school and take action if the allegations were found to be true.

HT School officials say they are forced to cook in the institute’s washroom as the kitchen shed was under construction.