Bihar Education Dept Orders Probe After Worms Found in Midday Meals

Worms were reportedly found in a soybean dish supplied as part of midday meals to 75 government schools in Arwal district’s Sadar block, prompting the Education Department to order an investigation. The meals were supplied through an NGO, which delivered the food to schools as usual on Tuesday. During inspections, worms were allegedly spotted in the soybean preparation, raising concerns over the quality and safety of food being provided to students.

Following the discovery, school headmasters stopped the meals from being served to children. Students who were present at the affected schools were consequently unable to receive their scheduled midday meal that day. The incident came to light after headmasters formally informed education officials about the suspected contamination and requested action over the quality of the food supplied.

Ismat Ara, headmistress-in-charge of Primary-cum-Middle School Umairabad, submitted a formal complaint to the District Programme Officer responsible for the midday meal programme. She reported that worms had been found in the soybean dish supplied to the school and said the food was withheld to prevent students from consuming it. Similar complaints were reportedly submitted by headmasters of Adarsh Vidyalaya Ahiyapur and Government Middle School Sakri Ibrahimpur.

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The reports have raised questions about the checks carried out before meals are distributed among students. Since the food was supplied to multiple schools through the same NGO, the discovery at several institutions has prompted officials to examine whether the problem was limited to individual batches or reflected a wider lapse in food preparation and quality control. School authorities chose not to serve the meals after the suspected contamination was detected.

District Education Officer Asgar Ali acknowledged the reports and said the matter was being investigated. He said officials would examine the circumstances surrounding the food supply and determine whether negligence had occurred. Ali also assured that action would be taken against the concerned NGO if an investigation establishes that it was responsible for the lapse.

The incident has once again highlighted the importance of strict quality checks in school meal programmes, where food safety directly affects large numbers of children. Authorities are now expected to determine how the contaminated food reached the schools and whether established inspection procedures were followed. Further action against the supplier will depend on the findings of the departmental investigation.

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