Midday meal tragedy jolts Bihar

Jolted by the midday meal tragedy in Saran which claimed the lives of 23 children, Bihar government is set to issue stringent instructions for quality check and improving infrastructural facilities.
"The notice for strict quality check of food served under midday meal scheme in schools across Bihar will be issued either today or tomorrow," director, midday meal programme, R Lakshamanan told PTI.
He said inquiries into the Saran tragedy has revealed that standing orders like quality check of food and its maintenance by teachers and cooks were not observed in the Dharmasati Gandavan primary school.
Lakshamanan said notwithstanding the 'mishap' at Chhapra and another at Madhubani yesterday in which 50 children fell ill, the midday meal scheme is continuing in other schools but with extra precaution.

He, however, admitted that in many schools children are refusing to take food packets provided to them under the programme.
The midday meal scheme, a flagship programme of the central government, covers 70,000 schools of the state providing food to 1.25 crore children.
Lakshamanan, who visited the primary school at Dharmasati Gandavan village in Mashrakh block where the midday meal tragedy struck on Tuesday, said some additional measures would be adopted in the wake of the unpleasant incident and the existing ones would be strictly observed.