LUCKNOW: The principal and three teachers of a government secondary school in Muzaffarnagar district were booked for negligence on Wednesday after a dead rat was found in the midday meal served there on Tuesday. An FIR had also been lodged against the Hapur-based NGO supplying the meal on Tuesday itself.
Students of Janta Inter College government school at Pachenda in Mustafabad area in Muzaffarnagar district were served dal and rice as per Tuesday's menu. After eating the food, eight students and a teacher fell ill and many others complained of discomfort. They were immediately rushed to the district hospital.
The reason for the sudden deterioration in the condition of the students and teacher was established once the dead rat was spotted in the cooked food served to the students.
Taking action against the school authorities, an FIR was lodged against Principal Vinod Kumar, teachers Sanjive Kumar, Munnu Persad and Babita, and the supplier of the meal -- NGO Jankalyan Samiti of Hapur. All were booked under Sections 269 and 273 of the IPC in this connection.
The food was served to class VI students. Those who had taken ill after eating the meal included teacher Mannu Kumar, students Hans, 13, Prashant, 11, Harsh, 12, Aman, 11, Ashu, 13, Shivam, 12, Sagar, 11, Himanshu, 13 and Devansh, 11. Uttar Pradesh minister of state for Basic Education Satish Dwivedi, while
interacting with media persons on Wednesday, claimed that following a preliminary inquiry, the NGO supplying the meal to the school was blacklisted and legal action was also initiated against him.
Moreover, a probe ordered by Additional District Magistrate (ADM) Amit Kumar Singh on Tuesday was already underway into the incident. As per the ADM, the NGO had been supplying midday meals in 30 schools in the district. “Now, it stands blacklisted and food samples have been sent to a laboratory for testing,” said Singh.
The Saharanpur Divisional Commissioner, Sanjay Kumar, taking note of the incident and recurrent irregularities coming to light in the midday meal scheme, issued directives to all DMs and officers of the Education Department of Muzaffarnagar, Saharanpur and Shamli to be vigilant and monitor the midday meals served at schools in their districts.