Ludhiana, June 28 -- The district education department on Friday has directed all schools to complete a thorough cleanliness and safety drive to ensure that students return to a hygienic and safe environment as government schools set to reopen after the summer vacation on July 1.

The department has instructed schools to clean and sanitise kitchen-cum-stores, utensils and food ingredients used for preparing the mid-day meal before classes resume. The work is to be carried out by the cook-cum-helper available in each school and monitored by the school's mid-day meal in-charge.

According to the directions, all utensils used for cooking and serving meals must be thoroughly cleaned at least one day before the reopening of schools. Schools ha...