A Class II student at Chimanagera Government Higher Primary School in Afzalpur taluk of Kalaburagi district was critically injured after she accidentally slipped into a hot sambar vessel at the midday meal preparation kitchen attached to the school on Thursday.
Mahanthamma Jamadar, who sustained 40% burn injuries, was immediately rushed to a Primary Health Centre at Choudapur where she received first aid and later shifted to Gulbarga Institute of Medical Sciences in Kalaburagi for further treatment. On the insistence of the parents, the student was later shifted to Basaveshwara Hospital in Kalaburagi on Friday. As per the hospital authorities, the condition of the patient was stable.
As per the available information Kasturibai Talakeri, the head cook who was supposed to prepare the meal, was off duty without any prior intimation and the school authorities did not have any mechanism in place to prepare food in the absence of the official cook.
Deputy Director of Public Instruction Sakreppagouda Biradar suspended Lalabi Nadaf, the Head Mistress (Provisional), and Raju Chauhan, the assistant teacher, on charges of negligence under Rule 10(1) of Karnataka Civil Services (Classification, Control and Appeal) Rules, 1957. “Head Mistress (Provisional) Lalabi Nadaf was on leave. Raju Chauhan, the assistant teacher also failed to discharge his duties as a head of the institution,” the DDPI said in his order.
Ramesh Sulfi, Executive Officer of Afzalpur Taluk Panchayat, dismissed Kasturibai Talakeri, the chief cook of the midday meal scheme in the school, with immediate effect.
Bhanwar Singh Meena, Chief Executive Officer of Kalaburagi Zilla Panchayat, who spoke to the parents of the girl on Friday morning assured them of quality treatment of their daughter and stringent action against all those responsible for the tragedy. By evening, the suspension and dismissal orders were out.
Meanwhile, the Principal Secretary of the Department of School Education and the Director of Midday Meal directed the CEO of Kalaburagi Zilla Panchayat to submit a detailed report on the incident.
