KALLAKURICHI: A heart-wrenching video from a government primary school in Tamil Nadu’s Kallakurichi district has ignited public fury after students were seen pleading with the state education minister for clean, safe meals. The video, which has now gone viral, shows young children holding up worm-infested food and describing their repeated struggles with poor-quality mid-day meals.

The complaint came from students of the government primary school in Old Uchimedu village. According to reports, the mid-day meals were prepared using rice that had remained unused for over a month during the summer holidays. This led to the food becoming stale, foul-smelling, and infested with insects.

One visibly upset student in the video says, “There are always worms and bugs in the food. We’ve told them, our parents have also pointed it out, but the problem continues. We don’t want to eat this anymore.”

The emotional video has sparked intense criticism of the ruling DMK government, with many pointing to a growing number of similar complaints from across the state. Concerns have mounted over the lack of monitoring and quality checks in the mid-day meal scheme, which is meant to provide nutritional support to children from economically weaker sections.

Following the backlash, Kallakurichi MLA Senthilkumar visited the school to assess the situation. The principal admitted to lapses in food quality and assured stricter daily inspections, especially of perishable items like eggs. A full inquiry has been promised.