State Food Commission chairman inspects schools, ration shops in Eluru

State Food Commission chairman Chitta Vijayapratap Reddy conducted surprise inspections across several schools, ration shops and MLS (Mandala Level Stock) points in Eluru, Bhimadole and Dwaraka Tirumala mandals on Wednesday (July 9).

Mr. Vijayapratap Reddy, who examined the kitchen and store room at Mahatma Jyotiba Phule Girls High School here, observed that some eggs weighed only 31 grams, far below the required 45–55 grams. He directed the supplier to replace underweight eggs, warning that such lapses should not recur and would attract strict action. Based on student feedback, the chairman suggested replacing upma with egg rice, instructing the principal accordingly.

In Gundugolanu village of Bhimadole mandal, he visited the government ration shop, mandal parishad school and the zilla parishad high school. He found that fortified rice (with added vitamins) supplied by the government was being drained of starch, which goes against food safety regulations. He directed the Assistant Director of the Education Department to instruct all school headmasters in the district not to drain fortified rice while cooking.

At Patthuru MLS point, he emphasised that ration rice should be distributed based on accurate weight, not by bag count, to ensure fairness for ration dealers.

During his visit to Dr. B.R. Ambedkar Gurukulam in Dwaraka Tirumala, he found that only four cooks were available for 682 students. The principal brought this to his attention, and he assured that he would take up the matter with the relevant authorities. He also dined with the students and expressed satisfaction with the food quality, lauding the cooks and school staff for their service.

The inspection team included R.V. Nagarani (BC Welfare Department), Shivaramamurthy (District Manager, Civil Supplies Corporation), Williams (District Supply Officer), Assistant Director of the Education Department, officials from Legal Metrology, Food Safety and mandal-level officers.