Mumbai: Maharashtra government today told the Bombay High Court it will take action against officials concerned if there has been any lapse in stopping supply of sub-standard snacks to schools in tribal areas. On August 13, government, in an affidavit, accepted the ‘chikkis’ (a type of sweet snack) supplied to schools in tribal areas in four districts under a Rs 206-crore procurement scheme by the Ministry for Women and Child Development Ministry was unfit for human consumption and hence supply has been stopped.
The affidavit was filed before a division bench of Justices V M Kanade and Shalini Phansalkar-Joshi, which was hearing a petition by social worker Sandeep Ahire seeking a ban on manufacture and distribution of sub-standard ‘chikkis’. However, the Court was today informed by Ahire’s advocate Anil Anturkar that as per information received under RTI, ‘chikkis’ are still being distributed in several schools.
Responding to this, senior counsel Srihari Aney, appearing for government, said “we are still standing by our statement. We have not distributed the chikkis after complaints were received.” Aney, while seeking time to file an affidavit in response to the fresh allegation, told the Court if there has been a breach then government will take action against those responsible. The next hearing on the petition will take place on August 31.
