Mahatma Gandhi's statue found vandalised in Odisha school
Balasore (Odisha): A statue of Mahatma Gandhi was found vandalised inside the premises of a government-run school in Sovarampur area in Odisha's Balasore town, police said on Monday.
A room christened 'Bapuji Kakhya' in the school as a mark of honour to the 'father of the nation' was also found ransacked, with cigarette butts and empty liquor bottles strewn around, a police officer said.
The matter came to light when some locals entered the school premises on Sunday, after noticing that a couple of trees planted inside the compound had been felled, he said.
Upon entering the compound, they found the room open and the head of the statue lying on the ground, the officer said.
The incident is suspected to have taken place on June 14, and could be the handiwork of some anti-social elements as the upper primary school was shut for the summer vacation, Inspector In-Charge of Sahadevkhunta Police Station, Subhransu Sekhar Nayak said.
Nayak, however, ruled out any political angle to the episode. A case has been registered and investigation is in progress to identify those involved in the incident, he added.
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Bihar: Over 150 children fall ill after consuming 'mid-day meal' in Saharsa
Saharsa (PTI): More than 150 children were taken ill after allegedly consuming food that was part of the mid-day meal in a school in Bihar’s Saharsa district, a senior official said on Thursday.
The incident occurred at a middle school in Baluaha village of the district.
The official said that 115 children were undergoing treatment at the Sadar Hospital, while around 50 students were admitted to Mahishi Public Health Centre.
“We received information that several children fell ill after consuming the mid-day meal in Baluaha. The children were initially treated at the primary health centre, but later, many were referred to the Sadar Hospital,” Saharsa District Magistrate Deepesh Kumar told reporters.
“According to doctors, the health condition of the children has improved, but they will be kept under observation for some time. There is no need to panic. Some kids are having mild fever. They are being treated accordingly,” Kumar said.
Meanwhile, family members of some children claimed that a snake was found in the container in which cooked pulses was stored at the school.
Of the 545 students present in the school, 200 had already eaten their meals by the time the snake was spotted, and later complained of stomach ache and vomiting, they said.
Regarding the claims, the DM said food samples have been collected from the school.
“We will be able to comment on this only after the results of the tested samples arrive,” he said.
