Will send food from home, say parents

A DAY after nine students of a government school in Deoli were hospitalised after consuming mid-day meals in which dead rats were allegedly found, parents expressed reservations about the quality of food being served to their children, with several saying they would pack home-cooked food from now.

Angry parents said the onus lay with the contractor of the mid-day meal. Some parents also blamed authorities for not taking students to the nearest hospital.

Bal Kishan, whose grandsons study in the school, said, “Why were children taken to Madan Mohan Malviya Hospital which is 8 km away, when Batra Hospital is so close by? Who would have taken the responsibility if something happened on the way?”

A parent whose sons study in Class VII said, “I’ve never heard my children complain about the food. But yesterday one of my sons ate the sabzi in

Some parents also blamed authorities for not taking students to the nearest hospital

which the rat was found. He came home complaining of nausea. I will send food from home now because I can’t trust what will be served to them.”

Another parent, who had earlier worked in the school and served mid-day meals, said there have been several hygiene issues with the contractor. “The contractor is the one to blame. The school has no blame in this, they just served what is given to them,” she alleged.

The incident took place at the Government Boys Senior Secondary School in Deoli. A teacher said, “There was aloo puri on the menu. While the food was being served, two rats found their way into the sabzi given to some children from classes VI-VIII. Some teachers found the rats and raised an alarm.”