Probe after snake found in mid-day meal at gov't school in India

A probe has been ordered after a dead snake was found in the mid-day meal at a government school near the Indian capital, officials said Friday.

"The baby snake was spotted in the khichdi (a dish of rice and pulses cooked together) while it was being served to students at Rajkeeya Girls Senior Secondary School in Faridabad, barely 30 km from the national capital," a senior official said.

He added: "Some students had already eaten the meal before the snake was noticed. A few students vomited while others complained that they felt unwell. We have initiated a probe to find out how the dead snake landed into the meal."

However, the school's principal, Braj Bala, has said that the meal was not cooked in the school, but was supplied by a non-government religious organisation.

"As soon as the snake-like insect was found, we immediately stopped all children from eating it and also complained to the organisation and to senior officials in the education department," Bala told the media.

India's mid-day meal (lunch) programme is the world's most ambitious free school feeding initiative, providing cooked meals to more than 120 million children in more than a million schools across the country.

Though the mid-day meal scheme aims at tackling hunger and boost attendance in schools, but it suffers from poor hygiene, with reports of dead rats and insects being found in them. Many students often complain of stale food being served to them.

In 2013, at least 22 children died and dozens fell ill following food poisoning after eating lunch at a school in the eastern state of Bihar. Endit