Shillong, March 17: Meghalaya Government has deputed a team from the state Education Department to coordinate with the Karnataka government officials following the death of a 13-year boy on Sunday and the hospitalization of 29 others in what is suspected to be a food poisoning case in Mandya district.
The body of the teenager is being brought back to the state, while another teenage student who remains in critical condition has been shifted to Bangalore for advanced medical care.
Out of the 29 students hospitalized, 26 are from Meghalaya.
Meghalaya Director of School Education and Literary, Swapnil Tembe has issued an order deputing to Karnataka the Sub-Divisional School Education Officer, Shillong, P Sunn, and District MIS, PM-POSHAN, Shillong, R Kharsyntiew, to coordinate with the concerned district administration and also with the parents of all the children from Meghalaya currently in the institute where the food poisoning case broke out. They will also submit a detailed report to the government on the incident.
Thirteen-year old Sunday Kerlang, a student of Class VI and hailing from Lyndem village of Pynursla civil sub-division in Meghalaya, collapsed inside his school hostel on Sunday after having been provided with leftover food from a Holi celebration event, two days earlier. He died on Sunday.
Principal Secretary to Meghalaya Government, P Sampath Kumar confirmed to The Meghalayan Express on Monday that another Meghalaya student in serious condition has been shifted from Mandya to Bangalore for advanced medical treatment.
“We have deputed a team from the state, we are also in touch with the DC of Mandya and other Karnataka Government officials. There are 26 Meghalaya boarding students hospitalized,” said Sampath Kumar.
Kerland and 29 other boarding students, a majority of them from Meghalaya, began experiencing serious health complications, including vomiting, diarrhea and dehydration after their hostel authorities served them leftover food from a Holi celebration at T Kagepura village in Mandya district. A local group called Malavalli had served vegetable pulao and chutney to guests as part of Holi celebrations on Friday and the remains were later given to 30 students of the hostel.
The following morning, all the students fell ill and were rushed to hospital. On Sunday Kerlang collapsed and was rushed to Mandya Institute of Medical Sciences where he was declared dead.
Accusations have been levelled against the private school where Kerlang was a student, located at T Kagepura village of Mandya, of running an unauthorized hostel without basic amenities, including proper toilets.
The students from Meghalaya and other states were allegedly taken to Karnataka for education by the Rashtriya Swayamsevak Sangh (RSS). The residential school, run by Gokul Educational Institution, reportedly had 202 students, of which 30 students hail from Meghalaya and Nepal.
Mandya police have registered cases and arrested three persons, namely school owner, hostel warden and the cook.
