CPI(ML) Liberation Bihar State Secretary Kunal has expressed deep concern and anger over the incident in which hundreds of children reportedly fell ill after consuming mid-day meals in different schools of Mahishi block in Saharsa district.
In a press statement issued on May 9, Kunal said reports of poisonous snake remains being found in the food are horrifying, shameful and a clear case of criminal negligence. “Such reckless endangerment of children’s lives cannot be tolerated under any circumstances,” he said.
He condemned the Bihar government for handing over the crucial mid-day meal scheme to private NGOs and contractors, saying this has led to a collapse of accountability and safety standards in government schools. He said the “double-engine government” is aggressively pushing privatization in the name of cost-cutting while basic public welfare systems continue to deteriorate.
Kunal said the incident exposed the disastrous consequences of privatizing welfare schemes meant for poor and working-class children. Instead of strengthening public systems, the government has allowed contractors and NGOs to profit at the cost of children’s safety, he said.
Demanding immediate action, CPI(ML) called for a high-level inquiry into the incident and sought the immediate arrest of those running the NGO responsible for supplying the food. The party also demanded strict legal action against all those found guilty.
The statement further demanded free and proper medical treatment for all affected children and measures to ensure that no family bears the burden of treatment expenses.
Kunal also called for restoration of the earlier system under which fresh meals were cooked locally in schools by appointed cooks, arguing that this would help ensure better food quality, hygiene and accountability.
Warning of statewide protests, he said CPI(ML) would launch an agitation across Bihar if immediate action is not taken against the guilty and if urgent reforms are not introduced in the mid-day meal system.
