Mid-day meal: Case to be registered against school headmaster

HISAR: A day after at least 60 students took ill when they consumed mid-day meal at a primary school in Dabwali, the sub-divisional magistrate on Sunday recommended registering a criminal case against headmaster Leela Dhar.
Six children were admitted to Dabwali general hospital on Saturday morning after they complained of vomiting and motions. They were reportedly served with roasted grams and other eatables at Government Primary School-1, under the mid-day meal on Friday.
However, rather than expressing regret over such criminal negligence, the authorities gave conflicting statements. While, SDM Subhash Gaba claimed the school headmaster had bought the eatables, Sirsa ADEO Asha Kiran Grover said centralized purchases were made at the district level.
Not satisfied with the authorities' claims, agitated parents held demonstrations, demanding action against the guilty. They also had verbal duels with Leela Dhar and others.
Even as the protesters threatened to lock down the school, block education officer Madhu Mittal rushed there and pacified them, after which all the eatables, including the fungus-infested roasted grams, were sealed.
"I have recommended registering a criminal case against the headmaster under the Essential Commodities Act for purchasing sub-standard food," Subhash Gaba told TOI.
Asha Kiran Grover however, said the purchases were made at the district level by a committee headed by the additional deputy commissioner of Sirsa. "There's no need to withdraw the remaining stock as trouble lay with the storage conditions."
Earlier, deputy commissioner V Umashankar had ordered a probe while directing the education department officials to bring guilty to the book.