'Bisi oota' victim dies of burns

Mother given job as cook in the same school

Apoorva B was a second standard student at the Government Higher Primary School in Katte Hunsur in HD Kote taluk in the district. She was standing in a queue for ‘bisi oota’ at her school on December 14 at 12.45 pm, when the accident occurred.

Apoorva had tripped and fallen into the sambar container when a girl standing behind her rushed ahead. Ravichandra, a teacher accompanied by headmaster Srinivas, cooks and others somehow managed to lift Apoorva from the container and shifted her to a primary health centre in Hullahalli. On the advice of the doctor at the PHC, she had been shifted to KR Hospital in Mysore for further treatment. However, the girl breathed her last on Friday.

Zilla panchayat chief executive officer G Satyavathy, who met the girl’s mother Mahadevi, handed over an exgratia of Rs 30,000 from Teachers Cooperative Association.

Satyavathy told Deccan Herald that she has written to the primary and secondary education minister Vishweshwara Hegde Kageri as there were no guidelines over issuing relief to relatives of the deceased in such cases.

The mother of the girl has been given a job at the same school as cook. For laxity, the headmaster and three cooks have been suspended, the officer added.

This follows a report from a team of nine officers led by Narasimhaiah, who had been entrusted with the task of investigating into the incident. According to the report submitted, the kitchen staff at the school had kept the hot container of food items nearby while serving the food. Instead they could have arranged for serving the food at the vast space available on the premises, with small vessels to serve the food.

Moreover, no teacher was assigned the job of supervising the process at that time.

Funeral

Heartrending scenes were witnessed at the village at the time of the funeral of the girl. Director of Akshara Dasoha B G Nayak said chief minister and the legislators have expressed their condolences over the incident. He promised that necessary assistance would be given to the mother of the deceased.

Tragedy

For Mahadevi, her daughter’s death was a double blow. When her husband Basavashetty deserted her, she returned to her parent’s place along with her son Abhishek and daughter Apoorva.

She had been working as a daily wager. Abhishek is studying in the same school where the tragedy struck.

Do’s and don’ts

Waking up to the gravity of the situation, the zilla panchayat chief executive officer has issued some guidelines to be followed henceforth to check recurrence of such incidents. The food cooked in kitchen should be brought outside in smaller vessels for serving. Kitchen should be declared a prohibited area.

Two teachers have to be deputed for supervision. The kitchen staff should wear clothes that are fire resistant and phone numbers to be contacted at the time of exigency should be prominently displayed. Also, students should not be engaged in any labour.