More than 25 girl students fall ill after eating mid-day meal

NEW DELHI: Over 25 girl students fell ill after consuming the mid-day meal at a government school in Delhi’s Narela area and were rushed to a hospital, the police said on Wednesday.

“Students were taken ill due to food poisoning after consuming mid-day meal. They were taken to the hospital,” a senior police official said. The students of Senior Secondary School in Narela’s Bankner complained of abdominal pain.

Police claimed that they have registered a case and investigating the matter.

“After the probe is completed, we can say whether it was a negligence and who was the culprit,” said a police officer.

The children were eating the food and suddenly they complained of pain. The school authorities were informed and they were rushed to nearby hospital. When asked whether any lizard was found in the food, the police officer claimed that the matter is been probed.

Following the development, the Delhi government’s Education Department has called a meeting of all midday suppliers in the national capital on Thursday.

This is the second such incident within a week. Two girls were taken ill after having mid-day meal on Saturday at a Delhi government school in East Delhi’s Khichdipur in which a dead lizard was allegedly found. Delhi Social Welfare Minister Rajendra Pal Gautam on Wednesday visited the hospital where the girls were admitted.

Deputy Chief Minister Manish Sisodia had on Monday conducted a surprise inspection in two kitchens in the city where the meals were being prepared for distribution in schools and warned the workers of strict action if any irregularities were found in future.