6 years later, midday meal deaths haunt Bihar village

GANDAMAN (MASHRAKH): Six years after a midday meal tragedy claimed the lives of 23 children at the primary school in Dharmashati Gandaman village, in Maharajganj constituency, the incident continues to haunt the survivors, now in their teens.
Maharajganj goes to polls in the sixth phase on May 12.
"After eating the midday meal that day, I and many other kids in the school started vomiting. We were first taken to Masharakh public health centre, and from there to a hospital in Chhapra. But our condition was not improving so we were referred to Patna Medical College and Hospital," recalls 16-year-old Rajni Kumari.
Her friend Anjali, who is now in Class X, says though she recovered a few weeks after the incident, she still suffers frequent stomach aches and nausea. Some of the other survivors also claimed that they still experience frequent stomach aches, headaches and blurred vision.
"I am forced to send my other two kids to the same school, but I ask them not to eat the midday meal. I tell them to come home for lunch," says Renu Devi, whose daughter survived the tragedy.
Several others claimed they had not received compensation for their kids who survived the incident. Hemanti Devi claimed that though she received an ex-gratia payment of Rs 2.90 lakh for the death of her 10-year-old son, she did not get the compensation of Rs 1 lakh for her 10-year-old daughter who survived.
Parents complain that the school has not been serving the meals . "The meal has not been served in the school for almost three months now. They say this is because of non-supply of food items," said Malti Devi.
Headmaster Rajesh Kumar claimed that meals had not been served from May 1 due to elections. He was backed by Sunil Kumar Singh, district programme officer, education department. He said the food-supply vehicle had been taken for election purposes.