CHENNAI: Former BJP state president K Annamalai on Tuesday urged the Tamil Nadu government to immediately conduct stringent quality checks and transparent monitoring of eggs supplied under the noon meal scheme, alleging that contractors had hoarded nearly 20 crore eggs in cold storage after prices fell earlier this year.
Citing reports, he alleged that when egg prices dropped to Rs 3.70 per egg in March, contractors supplying eggs to government schools made bulk purchases and stored them in cold storage facilities to be supplied over the course of the year.
In a statement, Annamalai said the state government pays a fixed rate of Rs 5.63 per egg throughout the year for eggs distributed under the scheme for school students.
Claiming that eggs cannot remain fresh for long periods, he expressed concern that prolonged storage and transportation to remote rural schools could affect their quality, nutritional value and food safety.
Recalling instances during the previous DMK regime when “rotten eggs” were allegedly supplied to students under the noon meal scheme, Annamalai said such incidents should not continue under the present TVK government. He said the issue was not merely related to procurement, but concerned the health of lakhs of schoolchildren and the trust of parents.
He urged the government to immediately ensure strict inspections and monitoring of the storage duration, quality testing, transportation and distribution of eggs supplied to schools.