With more than 200 children in different parts of Andhra Pradesh falling ill after consuming the mid-day meal launched yesterday, Chief Minister N. Chandrababu Naidu today said they were not cases of food poisoning but minor gastro-intestinal problems. He also said the government was taking effective measures to get the children out of danger.As many as 40 students of an elementary school in Visakhapatnam fell ill after eating the meal and they were immediately rushed to the KGH Hospital. Their condition is now stated to be stable. While 100 other cases were reported from Khammam town and Bhongir in Nalgonda district, 70 students belonging to three different schools in Tirupati town too fell ill.The food for the mid-day meal scheme was prepared by the Tirupati Tirumala Devasthanams.‘‘They were not instances of food poisoning. The children developed minor digestive problems because the food was too spicy. In some cases, the food was not cooked properly,’’ the Chief Minister said at a press conference here.Naidu, however, said the government would now keep a close watch on the implementation of the scheme and address any inadequacies that might show up. He added that when food was being served to 75 lakh children, lapses of minor nature were certain to occur ‘‘here and there’’.Naidu said that in many cases, the rice was not cooked properly as DWACRA women, who were entrusted with the task, had no experience in preparing food for a large number of students.
