School children fall ill after ‘snake’ found in meal

At least 30 students of a district primary school in India’s West Bengal state fell ill after having the food served as a mid-day meal on Monday.

Mayureswar Block Development Officer Dipanjan Jana claimed that complaints have been received from several villagers about children falling sick after eating the mid-day meal. 

“We had to rush the children to Rampurhat Medical College and Hospital as they started vomiting,” he told the media, adding, “I have informed the district inspector of primary schools who will visit on January 10 for inspection of meals provided to children.” 

The official said that all the children, barring one, have been discharged from the hospital, adding he is out of danger. A police officer said the guardians gheraoed the school’s headmaster and vandalised his two-wheeler. 

The school staffer, who cooked the meal, claimed that a snake was found in one of the containers filled with lentils.

Chicken, fruits in mid-day menu upgrade 

Mamata Banerjee government upgraded the menu by introducing chicken and seasonal fruits from January to April in mid-day meals served in state and state-aided schools at the primary level.

Usually, the mid-day meals in state and state-aided schools currently serve rice, pulses, vegetables, and occasionally soybean and egg.

The government will be spending an additional Rs 372 crore on mid-day meals—an extra Rs 20 per child per week, to enable the new menu. The state is altogether bearing the cost of the meals. 

The mid-day meal system is a Centre-state initiative, the ratio of funding being 60: 40.