The Chhattisgarh High Court on Tuesday direct the state government to pay ₹25,000 within a month, to each of the 84 students who consumed mid-day meals soiled by a dog at a middle school in Balodabazar-Bhatapara district last month.
A division bench comprising Chief Justice of Chhattisgarh HC Ramesh Sinha and Justice Bibhu Datta Guru delivered the order highlighting negligence on the part of the government in the episode and expressed hope that the authorities would be more vigilant and careful in providing mid-day meals to students, reported PTI.
The HC gave the ruling after taking suo motu (on its own) cognisance of the matter as a Public Interest Litigation (PIL) and sought an affidavit from the state government.
While awarding the compensation to the students, the bench did not take into account the state's argument that the affected students were found to be fit after a subsequent health check-up.
“And though three doses of anti-rabies has been administered to 84 children of the school, it was negligent on the part of the state to take care that the food which was being offered in the mid-day meal by the SHG to the children of middle school, we deem it proper that ₹25,000 be paid by the state to each of the student of the concerned middle school, who had consumed the said meal, within a period of one month from today (August 19),” the bench ruled.
What had happened?
{{/usCountry}}“And though three doses of anti-rabies has been administered to 84 children of the school, it was negligent on the part of the state to take care that the food which was being offered in the mid-day meal by the SHG to the children of middle school, we deem it proper that ₹25,000 be paid by the state to each of the student of the concerned middle school, who had consumed the said meal, within a period of one month from today (August 19),” the bench ruled.
What had happened?
{{/usCountry}}On July 28, dog-soiled food was served to students at a government middle school in the Lachchhanpur village in the state's Balodabazar-Bhatapara district according to an inquiry report submitted by the government in the HC, cited PTI.
The food was distributed under the mid-day meal scheme.
The teachers, after being alerted by the students, asked the self-help group SHG, who used to prepare the food, to not distribute it. The SHG reportedly ignored their directive.
Despite a complaint to the school headmaster, the soiled eatables were not removed from the meal and it was subsequently consumed by the students.
Action taken
The SHG has been removed from the work of preparing mid-day meals at the school and barred from availing any further governmental benefits.
The school's in-charge principal Santosh Kumar Sahu, cluster principal, in-charge headmaster, teachers and cluster coordinator were suspended via an order dated August 6, PTI reported citing a government report.
In a report submitted on August 8, the chief medical and health officer of Balodabazar-Bhatapara said that three doses of anti-rabies vaccine had been administered to 84 children.
According to the CMHO’s report, all the affected pupils were found to be medically fit after a health check-up and were regularly attending the school. However, as a precaution, the children were kept under continuous observation of Primary Health Centre personnel at Lachchhanpur.
Additionally, the state government told the court that no compensation was given as the students were found to be fit after a health check-up.
The aftermath
It was after this incident that the Balodabazar-Bhatapara collector, in a letter addressed to school education department officials, issued directions related to the preparation and distribution of mid-day meals.
The Directorate of School Education has also issued guidelines to District Education Officers, asking them to ensure maintenance of cleanliness and hygiene, undertake regular quality and safety checks after preparing the food .
They have also been directed to follow the prescribed standards mandated under the Pradhan Mantri Poshan Shakti Nirman Yojana.