Mangalore: Rat found in mid-day meal at Krishnapur govt school

Daijiworld Media Network - Mangalore

Mangalore, Jul 30: Even as controversy rages over unhygenic mid-day meals served in Bihar and other northern states, and even Goa, a case has been reported in Krishnapur here, wherein a rat was found in the mid-day meal at a government school.

The rat was found in the sambar of the mid-day meal distributed by Iskcon centre at Krishnapur 5th block government higher primary school here on Monday July 29.

During the lunch hour, the school children had gathered in a line with their plates in hand to take the mid-day meal. A girl student, while she was scooping up the sambar from the vessel with a large spoon, found a half-burnt rat at the bottom of the vessel.

As soon as the rat was discovered, the teachers informed the officials of Akshara Dasoha under education department and also the Iskcon centre. The officials who rushed to the spot examined the vessel in which the rat was found and took it away in the Iskcon vehicle.

Luckily, none of the children had started eating their lunch. After the incident, they seemed to have lost all appetite, and moreover, there was no alternative to sambar. The school management, however, made arrangements for biscuts and bananas and gave them to the children.

Suratkal police inspector Nataraj, Mangalore north block education officer Lokesh, school development committee president Ramesh, MCC member Tilakraj Krishnapur, personal secretary of MLA office Abdussamad, Hidayat, gram panchayat vice-president Pushparaj Shetty and others visited the spot.

A student said that earlier too, stones and insects had been found in the mid-day meals in the school.

Reacting to the incident, MLA of Mangalore North Mohiuddin Bava said that the incident will be brought to the notice of primary and secondary education minister Kimmane Ratnakar and a probe will be ordered.

DDPI Moses Jayashekar said that notice will be issued to the institution concerned and more information will be gathered. The police urged the public to inform them as soon as they come across such incidents.

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