Delhi: 34 students fall sick after eating mid-day meal, Sisodia orders testing of samples

New Delhi: 34 students of a government school in Jahangirpuri area in New Delhi were taken ill on Monday after consuming mid-day meal, prompting Deputy Chief Minister Manish Sisodia to order testing of the samples served. [caption id=“attachment_2406082” align=“alignleft” width=“380”] Representational image. AFP[/caption] Expressing concern over the quality of mid-day meals, Sisodia, who is also the Education Minister said, “quality of Mid Day Meal is a serious concern for us. I will make sure to provide better quality of food to our kids. Actually, providing Mid Day Meal is a social work. But some ‘thekedar’ type elements make this as profit making business”. “Our Government is working on the whole system of Mid Day Meal. Very soon people of Delhi will see drastic change in this system,” Sisodia said in a series of tweets. “The samples have been sent for testing at FICCI Research and Analysis Centre and the same has been made available to SHO Jahangirpuri. The SDM has been ordered that the samples from the same canteen will be checked for five days and action will be taken on basis of the report,” he added. The students of A-Block Girls School in North West Delhi’s Jahangirpuri, complained of stomachache and vomiting after eating rice and daal served as the mid-day meal following which they were rushed to nearby Babu Jagjiwan Ram Hospital. “We got a call from the school and were informed that more than 30 students are complaining of stomach pain after eating the mid day meal. We immediately admitted all the girls and started the treatment. It was a case of food poisoning,” said Dr Amareshwar Narayan, Medical Superintendent Babu Jagjivan Ram Hospital. While 25 students were discharged after preliminary treatment, nine of them are still under observation. Police said they received a call at the PCR about the incident and an FIR has been registered in this connection. “An FIR has been registered under IPC sections 284 (negligent conduct with respect to poisonous substance) and 336 (endangering life or personal safety of others) against unidentified persons. Further investigation is underway,” a senior police official said. The Education Department authorities, however, said the samples of the meal served today have been sent for testing. “The same meal was served to 564 students of the school. However, since these students complained of stomachache after consuming it, we have sent the samples for testing,” Padmini Singhla, Director of Education told PTI. Earlier this month, nine girls of a government school in East Delhi’s Seelampur area had taken ill after consuming mid-day ill. Recently, a RTI query had revealed that the quality testing of the food served under the midday meal programme in Delhi Government schools is on hold since four months due to non-empanelment of testing labs. PTI