Bhubaneswar, Sept. 2: The state government has decided to improve the sanitation and hygiene in the schools in the wake of the death of a school student in a residential school in Nayagarh district due to food poisoning.

Mina Majhi died and 40 other inmates of Kendua Sevashram, a government-run hostel for tribal girls, in Nayagarh district had fallen ill after consuming dinner at the hostel on August 30 night.

In another development, police arrested the headmaster, superintendent, cook and head helper of the school, who had earlier been suspended for their negligence. The arrest has been made on the basis of complaint lodged by the deceased girl’s father. The administration has initiated a joint inquiry into the incident and the probing team has collected samples of the food materials.

A medical team from SCB Medical College and Hospital has also visited the hospital.

Secretary of the scheduled tribes and scheduled castes development department Surendra Kumar said: “I have sought a report from the district collector. Apart from initiating action against the erring personnel responsible for the suspected food poisoning, the department was now mulling long-term measures to improve the sanitation and hygiene in the schools.

“Now, we are thinking how best we can maintain hygiene. Somebody should be responsible for ensuring that the school environments, especially the kitchens, be kept clean,” said Kumar.

“Food is the most important aspect, especially in the residential schools,” he said. In many residential schools, the kitchens are found in an unhygienic condition, admitted a department official.

Even thousands of government schools are without toilets or those are left defunct.

According to a report of the Union ministry of human resources development, out of total 58,412 schools of the state, 8,196 are without girls’ toilets and 13,452 are without boys’ toilets. Besides, in as many as 12,520 schools, girls’ toilets lie defunct, while 9,040 schools have defunct boys’ toilets.