The state government has designed a new menu for the Mid-Day Meal, including fish for the first time, apart from stressing on better monitoring of the scheme.

The move comes in the wake of the recent controversy over the mid-day meal served in a school in Hooghly.

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The state education department has notified the menu and directed the district magistrates of all districts to strictly adhere to it. “…pro-active monitoring and supervision for proper implementation of the scheme is to be ensured on regular basis at all circle/ block/ municipality/ subdivision/ district level,” reads the notification.

According to the menu, apart from regular rice and dal, the vegetarian menu should have “aloo posto”, soyabean curry and mixed vegetable (each item at least once in a week).

Non-vegetarian items, comprising either fish or egg curry, should be provided twice in a week among which fish should be served at least one day a week. “Chatni” should be on the menu twice in a week.

“We have formed a committee under the leadership of the district inspector of respective districts which will visit the schools and keep an eye on whether the schools are adhering to the menu as prescribed by our department. The team will communicate with senior officials of the department through an existing WhatsAppgroup and will also send feedback report time to time. The state education minister has given us clear instruction that no irregularity in mid-day meals will be tolerated,” a senior official of the state education department said.

The move comes in the wake of recent allegations of boiled rice and salt being served for mid-day meals at Chinsurah Balika Bani Mandir school in Hooghly a few days back. The state government has suspended two teachers of the school for the mid day meal irregularity.

Hooghly district magistrate Y Ratnakara Rao said that the menu list would be put up in all the schools in the district. This apart, the district administration has also provided a toll free number for lodging complaints in case of any irregularity in connection with the mid-day meal scheme.