Dead snake found in Anganwadi mid-day meal packet; Probe launched

Sangli: Authorities have launched an investigation after a tiny dead snake was allegedly found in a mid-day meal packet distributed to children at an Anganwadi, a government-run nursery school, in the Palus area of western Maharashtra's Sangli district. The meal packet was intended for children aged six months to three years.

The alarming incident was reported on Monday by the parents of a child in Palus, according to Anandi Bhosale, Vice-President of the State Anganwadi Workers' Union. The matter was subsequently raised in the state legislative assembly by Congress leader and Palus-Kadegaon MLA Vishwajeet Kadam, who demanded a thorough investigation and accountability.

"A dead baby snake was found in the mid-day meal provided to pregnant women and children in the age group of six months to three years. This is a serious issue. The government should understand that the lives of pregnant women and children are at risk. Harsh punishment should be taken against the guilty," MLA Kadam said on X.

District officials stated that the child's parents photographed the dead snake before disposing of it and sent the image to the local Anganwadi sevika (worker). Despite the disposal of the snake, a food sample from the packet was collected and sent to a laboratory for testing.

"Children in the age group of six months to three years receive packets of mid-day meal, a premix of dal khichadi, at Anganwadis. These packets are distributed to families once they arrive at the Anganwadi," explained Bhosale.

"On Monday, meal packets were distributed by Anganwadi workers in Palus. The parents of one child claimed that a tiny dead snake was found in the packet they received," she added.

Bhosale noted that the issue was raised during a meeting on July 2, and Deputy Chief Executive Officer of the Sangli Zilla Parishad, Sandip Yadav, who heads the Women and Child Welfare and Anganwadi section, was informed. Following the incident, the godown where the meal packets are stored was reportedly sealed.

Bhosale also highlighted previous complaints about the contractor responsible for supplying the premixed meal packets. "The packets are directly distributed by the contractor to the Anganwadis and from there, they are given to the beneficiaries within two to three days. In this case, neither the Anganwadi sevika nor any other district administration official saw the object; only the parents claimed to have seen it," she said.

"So, based on the photo they clicked and the food samples from the packet, the investigation will proceed," Yadav confirmed. The Food and Drugs Administration (FDA) has collected samples of the food items from the packet for laboratory testing. PTI