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PM Reacted on Suspension of Food in Telavi Kindergartens

December 12, 2016
 
Information Center of Kakheti 

“I would like to declare with full responsibility that I do not know which public official made this decision, but if it is truth, I want him/her quit the job immediately,” Prime Minister Giorgi Kvirikashvili responded to the information of the Information Center of Kakheti, which reported about reduced meat and dairy products in Telavi based kindergartens.   

Giorgi Kvirikashvili requested the Ministers of Healthcare and Education to study the case and called on the local municipal administration to respond to the fact.

“Short time ago, it was reported that menu of the pre-school educational institutions in Telavi was revised and significant meals were removed. Most probably it is issue of local municipality administration but I want to ask the Ministers of Healthcare and Education to study this case. I want to declare with full responsibility that I do not know which public official made this decision but if it is truth, I want him/her immediately quit job. If somebody interpreted optimization of administrative resources into reducing the food for children in the kindergartens, it is criminal decision,” Giorgi Kvirikashvili said.

Parents of the children informed the ICK about reduced meat and dairy products in the menus of Telavi based kindergartens. According to their information, meat ball soup was removed from the menu several days ago; children no longer get dairy products and Khachapuri. As they said the meat-ball soup was replaced with rice soup and Khachapuri was replaced with cheese pasta. Managers of several kindergartens in Telavi also confirmed the information during their phone conversations with the ICK. They said the union of pre-school educational institutions had decided to change the menu.

There are 9 kindergartens in Telavi. The director of the union of pre-school educational institutions Teona Mikeladze initially told ICK that the menu was not changed at all; but later she added that the meat balls were removed from the menu based on the request of the kindergarten managers. “They said the children did not eat meat,” Teona Mikeladze said.

After the PM’s response to the spread information, the ICK learned that the director of the union of pre-school educational institutions demand the kindergarten managers to deny the information.

Telavi City Mayor Platon Kalmakhelidze said some changes were done in the menu but meat meals were not removed from it. “The information was incorrectly disseminated. Children did not eat meat ball soup and they were replaced with roasted meat balls. Khachapuri and dairy products are still on menu. Consequently, we plan to petition to the PM and explain situation to the media too,” Platon Kalmakhelidze said. 

Teona Mikeladze is a close friend of the Telavi City Mayor Platon Kalmakhelidze.

ICK requested documentation from the union of pre-school educational institutions. 
Meanwhile, we got hold of the menus in Telavi based kindergartens before and after December, 2016. In the old version, on Mondays children had vegetable soup, bread, meat-pie/roasted meat ball with puree; on Tuesdays – meat-ball soup, bread and banana; as for the menu in December, - on Mondays children had only vegetable soup and bread; roasted meat balls and puree are moved to the Tuesday menu; there is no meat ball soup in the menu at all. Dairy products and Khachapuri are still in the menu but the parents claim children no longer get them.

The employees of kindergartens also confirmed the information about reduced food in their menu. 

ICK continues monitoring the situation in the Telavi based kindergartens and will publish lengthy publication about breached rights of the children. 

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