Vijayawada: Education minister Audimulapu Suresh denies irregularities in midday meals

Vijayawada: Education minister Audimulapu Suresh said transparency is being maintained in tender process for the supply of chikkis and eggs for the midday meals programme being implemented in the state.

He said the government is supplying 25 gram chickki with wrapper and good packing. He was replying to members who questioned about the irregularities in chikki and eggs tenders, in Legislative Council on Wednesday.

Members B Tirumala Naidu, Gunapati Deepak Reddy and Duvvarapu Rama Rao asked whether it is the fact that irregularities had taken place in the tenders to procure eggs and chikkis in the midday meals scheme. Rejecting the allegations, Suresh said transparency was maintained in the tender process. "Chief Minister Y S Jagan Mohan Reddy has himself personally monitored the tender process.

The government is taking utmost care in implementation of midday meals. Eggs are served five days in a week and instructions have been given that the eggs must be more than 50 gram weight," he said. He said previously some allegations were levelled that small eggs were served to the students.

The government had constituted a high power committee for tender process and to implement the midday meals programme in a transparent and efficient manner, he added.