Insects Found In Mid-Day Meal At PCMC School In Kharalwadi; Civic Body Launches Inquiry

Pimpri-Chinchwad: In a shocking incident, insects were allegedly found in the mid-day meal served to students at a Pimpri-Chinchwad Municipal Corporation (PCMC) school in Kharalwadi, raising concern among parents and prompting demands for an inquiry.

A day after the matter came to light, civic officials said they would investigate the complaint. Deputy Municipal Commissioner Mamata Sudhakar Shinde confirmed that the issue has been brought to the administration’s notice and will be verified.

However, PCMC Education Officer Sangeeta Bangar denied the allegations. She said no complaints were received from parents and that school staff have also reported no such incident. The school principal, Raziya Shaikh, also rejected the claims.

The issue was highlighted by activist Sagar Charan, who wrote to Municipal Commissioner Vijay Suryavanshi. He said a parent approached him after the child felt uneasy and complained of discomfort after eating the meal. Charan added that he received photos and details of the alleged incident through WhatsApp and forwarded them to the authorities.

A parent, Azamuddin Ansari, whose son studies in Class 6 at the school, said his child felt like vomiting after eating the meal and noticed insects in the food.

Officials said that mid-day meals in PCMC schools are provided by ISKCON and 13 self-help groups, while payments are made by the Pune Zilla Parishad. The civic body has said it will verify the facts as part of its inquiry.