Lack of storage space main constraint

Nearly three months ago, the Centre had anticipated that with the kind of complaints trickling in from various corners of Bihar over substandard food being served as midday meal, a disaster of this kind could take place. Only the magnitude was not foreseen.

As a precautionary measure, the Union Human Resource Development Ministry, in its appraisal note in April 2013, had urged Bihar to take corrective steps as children, parents and community members were not satisfied with the quality of food.

The warning came amid reports that most of the schools, which did not have a building of its own, lacked clean space to store food and food grains.

And their worst fear came true on Tuesday when the one room-school in Masrakh was found to have no storage capacity. Children had earlier complained of insects in their midday meal.

The Bihar government on Thursday, however, denied receiving the Centre’s alert. “All we had received was a communiqué from Jamia Islamia which complained of unhygienic conditions in which the meal was prepared,” said Amarjit Sinha, principal secretary, education. Instructions were issued across the state to taste the food before it is served, he added.  

Cook recovers

Meanwhile, Manju Devi, who had cooked the food on the fateful day, is out of danger after she was shifted from Masrakh to Patna Medical College and Hospital.

She is recuperating along with her two sons Abhishek (12) and Aditya (10) and daughter, Khusi (5). Manju and her three children, too, had the midday meal on Tuesday.

In her 30s, Manju lost her husband six years ago. Tuesday’s incident was the second blow to the widow who had taken up the job in a government school to eke out a living.