Lokesh orders action over poor midday meal at school

Andhra Pradesh Education Minister Nara Lokesh has taken swift action following reports of poor-quality midday meals being served to students at a government school in NTR district. Reacting strongly to the incident, the minister ordered the suspension of the school’s headmaster and issued an apology to students and parents for the lapse.

The incident occurred at a government school in Devuni Cheruvu village of Mylavaram mandal, where complaints emerged that the food served under the midday meal scheme was of substandard quality. As soon as the issue came to light, the Education Department initiated an immediate inquiry. Acting on Lokesh’s directions, officials constituted a three-member committee to investigate the matter.

Based on the committee’s findings, the agency responsible for supplying the meals was removed with immediate effect and a new agency was appointed to ensure uninterrupted food services for the students. At the same time, disciplinary action was taken against the school administration for failing to monitor the quality of the meals, leading to the suspension of the headmaster.

Expressing concern over the incident, Lokesh said the government is committed to ensuring that students in government schools receive quality services and proper care. “Our priority is to provide safe and nutritious meals to children studying in government schools. I sincerely apologise to the students and their parents for the inconvenience caused due to this lapse,” the minister said.

He added that the government would strengthen monitoring mechanisms to ensure such incidents do not recur. The minister also said the LEAP (Learning Excellence in Andhra Pradesh) mobile application would be further strengthened to enable parents to provide direct feedback on issues related to schools. This would help authorities identify problems quickly and resolve them without delay.