Students at a government school in Karnataka’s Koppal district allegedly found worms in their midday meal, giving rise to concerns over the quality of food served under the scheme.
According to reports,
the worms were present in both the rice and the sambar served for lunch with some students noting that they had been cooked along with the meal.
The incident took place at the Old Ningapur Government Higher Primary School, sparking outrage among parents. They expressed deep concern over the negligence of the midday meal staff, accusing them of failing to ensure the food was safe for consumption.
The parents alleged that the rice and other ingredients were not properly inspected before cooking, exposing children to serious health risks. They demanded strict action against those responsible and urged tighter monitoring and supervision of the midday meal scheme to prevent similar lapses again.
A video showing the contaminated food has been doing the rounds on social media, fuelling public anger and drawing attention to the issue. Many users condemned the lapse and called for accountability, highlighting the importance of hygiene and strict adherence to safety standards in government-run meal programmes.
Hanumanthappa Hatti, president of the school development and monitoring committee (SDMC), responded to the incident stating that the rice supplied to schools comes from stored stock and may have worms. He said cooks maintain cleanliness and that such an incident has not occurred before. He also said he will take measures to ensure that the children receive clean and high-quality meals in future.
