KURNOOL: ‘Plastic rice’ was reportedly found in midday meal rice supplied by the Civil Supplies department in Kurnool district on Saturday. The images of the ‘plastic rice’ have gone viral on social media.
As many as 2,989 government schools are there in the district and over 4 lakh students are studying in various classes. In view of the Covid-19 protocol, the government has been distributing 100-150 grams of rice to the students instead of providing food under the midday meals programme.
‘Plastic rice’ was reportedly found in the rice distributed to various schools across the district for the past two days.
Kowtalam Mandal educational officer (MEO) Y Sunanda said that nearly 50 grams of sub-quality rice like plastic rice have been mixed in general rice in every 50 kgs of rice packets at a few schools. She said that they collected 5 kgs of rice from every school in her Mandal and sent them to the higher official for investigation.
Additional director of midday meal programme Mahabub Beg said that they ordered a detailed inquiry. He said they collected samples and they will be sent to the lab.
After conducting tests, they will confirm whether it is plastic rice or sub-quality rice. He, however, said that plastic rice making is very costlier than natural rice so no one mixes plastic rice for sale or to increase the quantity. This just appears like plastic rice, but it may be of inferior quality, he observed.