The Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) on Thursday accused the ruling Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) government in Haryana of distributing expired food items to schoolchildren under the mid-day meal scheme, alleging that protein bars past their expiry date were served at a government school in Palwal district. The allegation has triggered demands for an immediate inquiry into the incident and raised concerns about food safety standards in welfare programmes meant for students.
In a post shared on X, AAP claimed that children were given protein bars that had expired in December last year, accusing the state government of negligence in monitoring the quality of food distributed under the scheme. According to the party, the expired items were provided to students despite clearly displaying expiry dates on their packaging.
The controversy emerged at a senior secondary school in Chhaysa village in Palwal district, where chocolate milk protein bars intended as nutritional supplements were reportedly distributed more than 45 days after their expiry date. The products were meant to enhance protein intake among students as part of the mid-day meal programme but were allegedly handed out even though they were no longer fit for consumption.
Parents who spoke to reporters said the expiry date was visibly printed on the wrappers, making the lapse particularly alarming. One parent claimed the chocolate product had expired over a month earlier but was still given to children, while another guardian said the expired bars were distributed shortly before the issue came to light.
The situation reportedly came to attention when a parent noticed the expiry date and alerted school authorities. Following the complaint, the remaining stock was removed from distribution. However, wrappers bearing the December 2025 expiry date were still found within the school premises, indicating that some students may have consumed the expired items before corrective action was taken.
Abdul Karim, head of the school’s monitoring committee, acknowledged that there had been a lapse and stated that a formal inquiry should be conducted to determine how the expired food items were distributed. The incident has intensified calls for accountability and stricter oversight mechanisms to ensure the safety and quality of food supplied under government-run nutrition programmes.
