The Goa education department on Wednesday formally suspended the services of a self-help group after 22 students of a high school fell ill after eating curried peas allegedly contaminated with a dead lizard.
The action against 'Ekta Mahila Mandal' was taken pending an inquiry by the food and drugs department into Tuesday's incident, Education Director Gajanand Bhat told IANS.
"It is standard procedure. The self-help group provides food to 15 schools, including Mahanandu Naik Memorial High School at Bhoma in Ponda sub-district, 25 km from Panaji. Its services to all other schools have also been stopped for now," Bhat said.
On Tuesday, 22 students of classes VII and VIII were admitted to a local government clinic for a short while after they consumed contaminated curried white peas.
The students were discharged after being kept under medical observation for a short while.