Students fall ill after midday meal in Bihar

Altogether 150 students fell ill on Wednesday after eating midday meals at two schools in two districts of Bihar, barely a fortnight after 23 students died in Saran district from contaminated food served to them.

Around 55 students of a government middle school complained of uneasiness after consuming the midday meal provided by an NGO at Kalyuga village in Jamui district, police sources said.

They were admitted to the Jhajha referral hospital, the sources said.

The District Magistrate S K Tiwari and Superintendent of Police Jitendra Rana who visited the students in hospital said that their condition was stable.

Samples of the meal were collected by the police.

In Arwal district, 95 students of the Chamandi primary school were taken ill after the meal and were rushed to the Kurtha Health Centre, official sources said.

The students were administered saline and discharged in the evening.

“We have sought reports from the district administrations,” Director, Midday Meal scheme, R Lakshamanan, told PTI in Patna.

On July 16, 23 students died after eating poisonous midday meals in a primary school at Dharmasati Gsandaman village at Chapra in Saran district.