Birbhum, India – Days before chicken appearing in the midday meal of West Bengal school pupils, children in a Birbhum school experienced the horror and health implication of consuming lentils from a pan that also cooked a small snake with it.
Several pupils of Mandalpur Primary School in Dheka area of the Mayureshwar II block were hospitalised on Monday afternoon after consuming their midday meal provided by the government.
The learners were rushed to the Rampurhat Medical College Hospital. All were later discharged.
The officials said that about 20 of the 53 pupils present in the school at the time, ate the midday meal.
The horror came to the fore after a school staffer who cooked the midday meal claimed that a snake was found in one of the containers that contained the lentils.
“All the children were immediately rushed to the Rampurhat Medical College Hospital after they fell ill,” the staff said.
“Two women were cooking. Chameli Bagdi was serving the food. She saw a snake while serving lentils. One or two of them had just put it in their mouth.
“After they saw the snake, everyone was asked to stop eating,” headmaster Nimai Chandra Dey said.
As the news spread, the villagers gathered at the school and vandalised the headmaster’s car.
“The guardians vandalised the principal’s two-wheeler,” Personnel from the Mayureshwar police station said.
“We rushed to the spot and rescued the headmaster,” the police said.
Primary Education Board Chairman Praloy Naik went to review the health of the pupils at the Rampurhat Medical College Hospital.
He said: “It happened in Mandalpur Primary School. There has been negligence and the cooks who are serving and cooking food should be more aware and alert.
“All the students were taken to a hospital. I also went to the hospital and talked to the parents. Students are fine now.”
