NHRC awards compensation to 2011 mid-day meal poisoning

The National Human Rights Commission (NHRC) has found negligence on part of concerned public servants in the 2011 mid-day meal poisoning case in the national capital in which 44 girl students were taken ill, and directed Delhi government to pay Rs 5000 each as monetary relief to each victims, except three.
The right's body, in a statement here, said that the three students could not be located since they had left the school.
On September 3, 2011, students of Sarvodaya Girls School in Uttam Nagar had to be admitted in the Deen Dayal Upadhyaya hospital after consumed the mid-day meal.

The Commission took cognisance of the complaints that a lizard had fallen in the mid-day meal leading to food poisoning.
In the enquiry report received in response to the Commission's notices, it was confirmed that a lizard was found in the Mid-Day Meal provided by a company M/s Indcare Trust.
An FIR was registered in the matter at Uttam Nagar police station.

The report also mentioned that "it seems that the lizard was present in food since the time of cooking because the lizard was shrunk and appeared cooked".
Also, Directorate of Education, Delhi had issued General Instructions regarding mid-day meal on January 23, 2012 mentioning that Deputy Directors Education, Education Officers, Principals, Heads of School were not taking due interest in the implementation of mid-day meal scheme in their districts, zones or schools and that the officers concerned shall be responsible for monitoring and distribution of mid-day meals as per general instructions.

"It was clear that the concerned authorities had neither taken due precaution nor conducted necessary checks on food which was supplied to the students at the school.
"Not only the human rights of the girl students were violated by providing them unhygienic mid-day meal but also their life was put at risk due to this negligence. Thus, the state was liable to pay monetary relief to the victims," the Commission observed.