The Punjab Child Rights Commission has ordered a complete ban on the junk food served in schools and also constituted various committees to keep monitoring the prohibition all across the state.Giving details about the idea of imposing prohibition, Mr. Sukesh Kalia Chairman Punjab Child Rights Commission said that it was a matter of worry and he expressed concern over the deterioration in the health of schools children especially with consuming unhealthy and unhygienic junk food. Such type of food was a direct threat to health of the children who were heading towards hypertension, diabetes, obesity and mental stress. These diseases and childhood obesity have been reportedly found to affect the cognitive and physical development of children adversely, causing an irreparable loss to the society.
The Chairman also said that the Child Rights Commission has taken the cognizance of this matter under section 13(1) (f) and (k) of CPCR Act 2005. The Commission has taken adequate measures to ensure complete safety in consumable items being delivered to the school going children. He said that the Food Safety and Standard Authority of India has also given guidelines to provide healthy, hygienic and nutritive food to the school children as per the laid down norms. He said that it is required that undertaking be sought from all private schools declaring that junk food/food high in fat, salt, sugar(HFSS) was not being served in their schools.Mr. Kalia also said that for the forceful implementation of the guidelines of the Food Safety and Standard Authority of India, the Commission has constituted state level committees to keep a close surveillance on the schools providing food to children and initiate action against those defying the government directive.