Assam: Locals Cry 'Endangerment of Children' after School Distributes Mid-day Meals amid Lockdown

Nagaon, March 27, 2020:

An Assam State Government-run School in Nagaon district has come under sharp criticism for irresponsibly calling the students and distributing the midday meals amid repeated social distancing advisories issued by the authorities.

A primary school in Batadrava village in Assam's Nagaon district asked all its students to avail the midday meals, thereby violating the Government's rules of providing the same at their respective residences.

It may be mentioned here that the children and the elderly are the vulnerable categories who can easily get the infection from the novel coronavirus. Following the outbreak of the pandemic in India, Health Experts have reiterating about the preventive measures to be taken to keep these two categories virus-free.

However, the staff of Rampur Satra (a cluster of schools), ME Madrassa, Hidubi Pre-Senior Madrassa Kodomoni Balika Moktab School and Batmari High School called their students and distributed the midday meals.

Locals have condemned this irresponsible act of the teachers of these schools and urged the Nagaon administration to take strict action against the teachers involved.

The students were caught unaware and were seen standing in groups without maintaining a metre's distance from one another, which has become a mandatory social distancing way to practice in public places.

The students were also seen playing around, while elders stood nearby. It needs mention here that the School's ignorance came to light at a time when the whole world is fighting the dreaded coronavirus, which has claimed the lives of over 20, 900 people worldwide. In India, 843 positive coronavirus cases have been reported as on Friday, with 116 new cases. The death toll due to the virus has also reached 20.

The Assam Government has been planning and preparing to treat COVID-19 patients in case of an outbreak. It has also proposed to set up five new prefabricated Hospitals, which will function till five years, for the treatment of COVID-19 patients.

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