The Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) on Friday launched a scathing attack on the Nitish Kumar-led Janata Dal (United) Government for ignoring the warning received by the Centre over the quality of mid-day meals served in schools in Bihar.
BJP spokesperson Shahnawaz Hussain said the Bihar Government has to come forward and take responsibility of the incident.
"The JD-U leaders and Government of Bihar always agree to the Central Government's dictates then why did they differ from the Central Government's warning on the quality of mid-day meal. Pallam Raju has said that he had warned the Bihar Government," he said.
According to reports, the Human Resource and Development (HRD) Ministry had in April 2013 warned the Bihar Government over problems faced by the mid-day meal scheme in the state.
Meanwhile, Patna Medical College and Hospital (PMCH) Medical Superintendent Dr. Amar Kant Jha said that all the children, including the cook, were now in a much better condition and out of danger.
"Today the condition of all the children, including the cook, has improved and all 25 of them are in a much better condition. They are all eating a normal diet. The medicine intake has also been reduced," he told the media in Patna.
A forensic report on whether the free lunch served to children in Bihar's Chhapra District on Tuesday was poisoned will be submitted today.
Even as the government awaits the results of the tests from the State Forensic Science Laboratory (SLFL), no arrests have been made in the case.
Bihar Police conducted raids on Wednesday night across the local district of Saran as part of its hunt for Meena Devi, the headmistress of the school, who fled after students started falling ill.
Her husband, who reportedly provided groceries to the school for the mid-day meals, is also on the run.
The toll rose to 23 yesterday after the death of one more child. Several children are undergoing treatment at the Patna Medical College and Hospital. They were admitted to the hospital after consuming mid-day meals served to them at a government primary school in Dahrmasati village, which falls under the jurisdiction of the Mashrakh Block, about 25 kilometers from Chhapra on Tuesday.
The children are aged between 8 and 12 years. They fell ill soon after eating the meal which consisted of rice, pulses and soybeans.
Bihar Chief Minister Nitish Kumar has ordered a high-level inquiry into the incident.
Nitish Kumar has also announced a compensation of two lakh rupees each to the families of the deceased.
