1 suspended over detergent in Bihar midday meal

Nalanda district administration suspended a school headmaster and dismissed cooks after students fell ill from a mid-day meal contaminated with detergent

The Nalanda district administration on Wednesday suspended the headmaster of a government school and issued show-cause notices to several officials, including the district programme officer of the mid-day meal scheme, after around three dozen students fell ill after eating a mid-day meal allegedly contaminated with detergent.

Nalanda: Students receive medical treatment at a hospital after allegedly consuming a midday meal at a government school in Bihar's Nalanda district (PTI)

Headmaster suspended, three cooks dismissed over meal lapse

Three cooks, at Middle School in Parasi in the Noorsarai police station area, who prepared the meal have also been dismissed, district education officer Nalanda Hem Raj said, adding, a four-member team has been formed to probe the incident.

“In our initial probe, it has come out the cooks were responsible for the lapse and had added detergent in the food by mistaking it for salt. All the three cooks have been dismissed and the headmaster of the middle school Shailendra Kumar has been put under suspension,” Raj said.

The served meal consisted of rice and a soybean dish.

Four-member team to probe contamination incident

The probe team comprises the sub-divisional officer and sub-divisional police officer of Bihar Sharif, the district education officer and the head of Noorsarai primary health centre. It is likely to submit its report to Nalanda magistrate Udita Singh within three days, officials aware of the matter said.

The students fell ill on Tuesday after consuming the meal at the school. They complained of dizziness and began vomiting. They were taken to Sadar hospital in Bihar Sharif, where they received treatment before being discharged on Wednesday.

Bihar rural development minister Shravan Kumar visited the hospital and met the affected students.

Officials face show-cause notices, FIR ordered

Officials said some students had already eaten when others complained that the food did not contain enough salt. The containers of salt and detergent powder were reportedly kept at the same place in the kitchen, leading the cook to allegedly mistake detergent for salt and add it to the food. “The block education officer, Noorsarai has been asked to lodge an FIR regarding the incident,” Raj said.

“It is a major lapse and we have already showcaused officials associated with monitoring of the mid-day meal at the block and district level. Action would be taken once the probe committee report comes,” said a senior state education department official.

Earlier in May, more than 100 students at a middle school in Mahisi block of Saharsa district fell ill after eating contaminated food.