Expressing concern over the number of children dead in the Chhapra mid-day meal poisoning case, Congress leader Rashid Masood on Thursday said that there should be a thorough enquiry on this incident as many cases of food poisoning has been reported from Bihar in the past two days.
"In the past two-three days many such incidents have taken place. There should be a thorough enquiry on the mid-day meal incident in Bihar," he said.
According to reports, 22 children have died after eating a free mid-day meal at their school in Bihar's Chhapra district on July 16.
More than 30 others 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 reportedly aged between 8 and 12 years. They fell ill soon after eating the meal which consisted rice, pulses and soybeans.
Bihar Chief Minister Nitish Kumar has ordered a high-level inquiry into the incident.
Kumar has also announced a compensation of two lakh rupees each to the families of the deceased. The Union Human Resource Development (HRD) Ministry has sent a senior official to Chhapra to take stock of the situation.
