Telangana HC takes serious note of food poisoning at govt schools

Hyderabad, Nov 27 (IANS) The Telangana High Court has taken serious note of the students taking ill due to suspected food poisoning at government-run schools and directed that samples from mid-day meals be collected from all such schools for lab analysis.

The court passed the orders on a Public Interest Litigation (PIL) about food poisoning at a government-run school in Narayanpet district.

Pulling up the officials for their negligence, the High Court asked if they would react only if children died of food poisoning. It asked the officials to adopt a humane approach saying they too have children.

The court also pulled up the government for not taking the issue seriously. It directed the government to take action against the officials responsible for the incident and submit a report by next Monday.

A bench comprising Chief Justice Alok Aradhe and Justice Srinivas Rao observed that the second incident of food poisoning at the same school within a week is a serious issue. It remarked that the incidents reflect negligence of the officials.

Additional Advocate General Imran Khan told the court that the students who took ill had brought some snacks from outside.

As many as 21 students of Maganoor Zilla Parishad High School took ill on Tuesday. The students complained of vomiting and diarrhoea after consuming the mid-day meals. They were rushed to the Government Hospital at Maganoor.

This was the second incident at the same school in less than a week. Around 50 students had taken ill after consuming the mid-day meal served to them on November 20.

Chief Minister A. Revanth Reddy has taken serious note of the first incident and directed the district Collector to conduct an inquiry and take action against those responsible.

Three officials were suspended and the contract given to an agency for supplying mid-day meals was also cancelled.

However, despite the action taken by the authorities, the school was rocked by another incident of food poisoning.

Anticipating protests over the incident, the police imposed assembly of five or more persons and imposed other curbs around the school on Wednesday.

The incident came a day after a 16-year-old student of a tribal welfare residential school succumbed on Monday, nearly a month after falling critically ill due to food poisoning.

C. Shailaja was one of the 60 students who had taken ill at the residential school at Wankidi in Komaram Bheem Asifabad district on October 30.

The opposition Bharat Rashtra Samithi (BRS) has blamed the state government for the death of the student and demanded Rs 50 lakh compensation for her family.

BRS working president K. T. Rama Rao every month food poisoning in residential schools claiming the lives of three students.

BRS leader K Kavitha alleged that since the Congress-led government took power in Telangana, 42 students have died from food poisoning in government schools.

--IANS

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