By IANS
Patna : Girl students of a residential school in Bihar’s Ara town are on hunger strike to protest the insect-infested food served to them while nine girls who ate the food were hospitalised Tuesday after their condition worsened.
Students of the Ambedkar Residential Girls High School in Ara, the district headquarters of Bhojpur, began their hunger strike on Sunday.
“We decided to go on a strike after school authorities refused to listen to our grievances,” said Manju, one of the students admitted to hospital.
Another student, Sheela, said they went on hunger strike to protest the apathy of the school authorities in addressing their grievances.
“Initially, we protested before the school administration, but they hardly paid any attention. So, we were forced to resort to hunger strike, “she said.
Meanwhile, Sub Divisional Magistrate of Ara, Nagendra Kumar Singh, visited the school on Monday and was shocked at the quality of food there.
Singh checked the rice, pulses and found them unfit for consumption. “I collected the samples of the food stock. It appears to be of very bad quality,” he said.
The girls are determined to continue with their protest unless they receive a written assurance from the district magistrate that their grievances will be looked into.