• Source:JND
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At least 78 school students were administered anti-rabies vaccines after consuming mid-day meals allegedly contaminated by a stray dog in Chhattisgarh’s Balodabazar district.

According to the TOI report, the incident occurred on July 29 at a government middle school in Lachhanpur village, located in the Palari block. Students from Classes 6, 7, and 8 claimed that a stray dog had licked and eaten the vegetable curry that was left uncovered outside the school kitchen. Despite raising concerns, the students' warnings were reportedly ignored.

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Teachers stated that they had advised the women of the self-help group, who are responsible for preparing the meals, not to serve the possibly contaminated food. However, the cooks allegedly dismissed these warnings, asserting the food was safe, and proceeded to serve it to the students.

The issue escalated when the children informed their parents upon returning home. Outraged, the parents, along with villagers and members of the School Management Committee (SMC), confronted the school staff and demanded accountability. Following the public outcry, the affected students were taken for precautionary anti-rabies vaccinations.

Authorities are expected to investigate the matter and take appropriate action against those found negligent.

Umashankar Sahu, a concerned parent, reported that his child informed him about an incident at school involving contaminated food. "My son told me he didn’t eat the meal because it was contaminated. I brought this up with the School Management Committee (SMC). He also mentioned that students are often scolded or mistreated when they ask for more food," Sahu said, according to the TOI report. 

According to the TOI report, the curry served that day was only partially covered, and they saw a dog remove the cover and eat from it. Despite informing a teacher, the Self-Help Group (SHG) responsible for the mid-day meal allegedly served the same curry to all students.

Following a heated discussion during a village-school meeting, 78 students were taken to a local health center. There, medical officer Dr. Veena Verma administered the first dose of the anti-rabies vaccine as a precaution, citing pressure from both parents and local leaders. “The decision was made purely on safety grounds and under the direction of higher authorities,” Dr. Verma explained, according to the TOI report. “It was a preventive step, not because of any confirmed infection. The first dose has no side effects and was given at the request of the villagers and SMC members.”

On August 2, Sub-Divisional Magistrate Deepak Nikunj, Block Education Officer Naresh Verma, and other officials visited the school to conduct an inquiry. They recorded statements from students, teachers, parents, and SMC members. However, members of the SHG reportedly failed to appear for questioning.

Local Congress MLA Sandeep Sahu has written to Chief Minister Vishnu Deo Sai, demanding a full investigation and accountability. “Why were anti-rabies vaccines administered without a confirmed medical risk? Who allowed the distribution of contaminated food despite objections?” he asked.

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The Jai Laxmi Self-Help Group, which has managed the school’s mid-day meal program for the past 15 years, is now under intense scrutiny. Villagers claim this is not the first instance of negligence, citing past complaints about undercooked food, insect contamination, and poor hygiene. There is growing demand to replace the group with a more responsible provider.