The National Human Rights Commission (NHRC) on June 8 issued a notice to the Chief Secretary, Bihar Government over the reported illness of about 150 children after consuming Mid-Day Meal at a Government school in West Champaran.
NHRC, India has taken suo motu cognizance of a media report that about 150 children fell ill after consuming Mid-Day Meal at a Government middle school in the Narval-Barval area of district West Champaran, Bihar on June 1, 2023. The Commission has observed that the contents of the media report, if true, amount to the violation of the human rights of the children. Apparently, there was a supervisory lapse on the part of the school authorities due to which food was prepared unhygienically and served to the students. Accordingly, it has issued a notice to the Chief Secretary, Government of Bihar calling for a detailed report on the matter within 4 weeks.
It should also include the steps taken or to be taken to ensure that this type of incident shall not recur in the future. The Commission would like to know whether the Government guidelines were being followed by the particular school, if not, then what action has been taken against the officers/officials responsible for the negligence, the NHRC statement said.
According to the media report, carried out on June 2, 2023, the students complained of vomiting and pain in their stomach after consuming the food after which they were taken to the hospital where the doctors opined that food poisoning was the reason for the illness of these students. The parents of the children reportedly protested against the school authorities, the statement added.
Earlier on May 18 also, as many as 35 children fell sick after consuming mid-day meals distributed at a Government school, Utkarit Girls Middle School Rasulpur, Tukulia Tola of Dumri region of Sadar block in Saran.
In a similar incident in Amauna middle school under the Jogbani police station area of Araria district, around 100 students were rushed to the hospital after a dead snake was traced in the Khichdi served to them as part of the mid-day meal on May 27.
On May 29, as many as 45 children were rushed to hospital after they complained of vomiting and stomach ache after consuming their mid-day meal in a Government middle school in Thunthi village of Supaul in Bihar.
The incident occurred under the Bhimpur police station limit when a mid-day meal was served to the student as per the daily routine, though one of the students, while having her meal saw a dead lizard in her plate, to which she immediately informed the authorities.
(with inputs from ANI)
