Cattle feed for children in BJP ruled civic body school

Cattle feed was sent as food under the mid-day meal scheme to a school in Pune district, but due to timely action by school authorities and local activists, the children in the municipal school were not served the food.

The cattle feed reached school number 58 of Pune Municipal Corporation, early this week. Since schools in the state are still closed due to the lockdown, the State Government issued instructions to send the mid-day meal to the residences of students enrolled in respective schools.

The Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) is in power in Pune Municipal Corporation. Political observers feel that it could be the BJP’s love for the cow, that cattle feed was sent to the school, instead of food for human consumption.

The school authorities realised that instead of food for the children’s mid-day meal, cattle feed was sent to the school and along with some local social activists the matter was brought to the notice of Food Safety and Standards Authority of India (FSSAI), which took seized the cattle feed.

The Pune Municipal Corporation is responsible for distribution of midday meal rations to schools under it.