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.