Chhattisgarh High Court orders State to pay ₹25,000 each to school children given midday meal licked by dog

The Chhattisgarh High Court has ordered the State government to pay ₹25,000 each to the students of a middle school where dog-soiled food was served as midday meal on July 28. 

A Division Bench of Chief Justice Ramesh Sinha and Justice Bibhu Datta Guru noted that three doses of anti-rabies vaccine were administered to the students, who are regularly attending the school.

However, the Court flagged that there was negligence on part of the State and ordered it to compensate the students.

“Considering the fact that it was an institution of the Government and self help group was assigned to provide mid-day meal, but the said mid-day meal was soiled by the dog and it was unfit for consumption for the students of the school and though three doses of anti-rabies has been administered to 84 children of the school, it was negligent on the part of the State to take care that the food which was being offered in the mid-day meal by the self help group to the children of Middle School, we deem it proper that Rs.25,000/- be paid by the State to each of the student of the concerned Middle School, who had consumed the said meal, within a period of one month from today,” the Court ordered on August 19.

The Court had on August 4 taken cognizance of a news report about the incident that took place at the Government Middle School, Lachhanpur, Block Palari in district Balodabazar. 

It was reported that food licked by a dog had been served to the students. Later, under pressure from parents, anti-rabies vaccines were administered to the children. Taking a serious view of the issue, the Court had said,

“Providing food to the students studying in the schools is not an empty formality and the same has to be done with dignity. A person, especially innocent child cannot be served any eatables which has been licked / soiled by a dog. When the State Government is spending so much of funds for upliftment of the schools and its paraphernalia, then such lapses on the part of the authorities responsible for its functioning, is a matter of serious concern.”

On August 19, the State School Education department said the Self Help Group Jai Laxmi Swa Sahayata Samuh has been removed from the work of midday meal at the school. The Court was also told that the principal in-charge and the cluster principal were suspended on August 6. It was also apprised about the suspension of other teachers.

The Court was also told that the children are in continuous observation at the primary health center in Lachchhanpur. The case will be heard next on September 17. 

“We hope and trust that the State would be more vigilant and careful in providing mid-day meal to the children studying in the Government Schools,” the Court said in the order. 

[Read Order]