K’taka BJP demands FIR after 50,000 iron, folic acid tablets meant for students found in Raichur school toilet

Bengaluru, July 22 (SocialNews.XYZ) Senior BJP leader and Leader of the Opposition, R. Ashoka, on Wednesday launched a scathing attack on the Karnataka government after more than 50,000 iron and folic acid tablets meant for schoolchildren were allegedly found dumped inside a toilet at a government school in Raichur district.

In a statement, Ashoka termed the incident a "shocking example of administrative failure" and accused the government of endangering the lives and health of poor children.

He said, "This is a cruel government that is striking at the stomachs of children and playing with their lives. Just the other day, nutritious milk powder was found in a cattle shed, and today, medicines for children have been found in a school toilet. Is this the people-centric governance promised by the state government?"

Referring to the incident at Gurugunta Government School in Lingasugur taluk of Raichur district, he alleged that over 50,000 iron and folic acid tablets intended for students had been discarded and damaged in a toilet.

"This is not merely negligence; it is an unpardonable betrayal and a perverse crime against the health, future, and lives of poor children," he said, adding that medicines meant to combat malnutrition among children of daily wage labourers were "rotting in toilets due to the government's corrupt and irresponsible administration."

Ashoka also targeted Chief Minister D.K. Shivakumar, questioning whether the Health and Education Departments were asleep or attempting to shield corruption.

Addressing the Chief Minister, Ashoka asked, "Should the health of poor children become a casualty of your government's alleged obsession with commissions and loot? Are your Health and Education Departments sleeping, or are they standing guard to cover up this corruption?"

The Leader of the Opposition raised several questions over the incident, including who was responsible for the disposal of the tablets, what action officials had taken despite medicines meant to improve children's health being thrown away, and why authorities were allegedly attempting to protect those responsible by issuing only notices.

Demanding stringent action, Ashoka said the BJP insists that all officials and staff concerned be suspended immediately. He further called for criminal cases to be registered against those responsible instead of what he described as a "drama of departmental enquiries."

"The guilty must not only be suspended but also face FIRs and be sent to jail," he said.

Raichur is one of the most backward districts in the state and most children suffer from malnutrition. The development has caused concern.

R. Ashoka further accused the Karnataka government of neglecting the welfare of children, alleging delays in releasing funds for eggs and nutritional supplements supplied to Anganwadi centres and creating hurdles in the mid-day meal scheme for government school students.

Ashoka said the government was making announcements without ensuring implementation on the ground. He alleged that the mandatory use of the "Niranthara" app for recording attendance was affecting the distribution of mid-day meals, particularly in forest and Malnad regions of Karwar where internet connectivity remains poor.

He claimed that if technical glitches result in only a portion of students being marked present, several children could be deprived of meals.

Ashoka urged Chief Minister D.K. Shivakumar to treat physical attendance registers as the basis for releasing meal funds until network issues are resolved and to immediately clear pending payments for eggs and milk supplied under child nutrition programmes.

Source: IANS