In a disturbing turn of events, over 50 students at Manganoor Zilla Parishad School in Narayanpeta district were hospitalized on Wednesday after falling ill due to suspected food poisoning from the mid-day meal. Following the incident, the school’s headmaster, in-charge headmaster, and the mid-day meal coordinator were suspended, and the agency responsible for supplying the meals had its contract terminated.
The students, who complained of food poisoning after consuming the mid-day meal, were rushed to the Government General Hospital in Mahabubnagar for treatment. The incident prompted immediate action from the state government, with Chief Minister Revanth Reddy ordering a thorough inquiry into the matter. As a result, both the Mandal Education Officer (MEO) and the headmaster were placed under suspension.
District Collector Sikta Patnaik visited the school on Thursday to conduct an inspection. She reviewed the school’s kitchen, checked the rice served to the students, and questioned local education officials and villagers. In the aftermath of her visit, Patnaik announced the termination of the mid-day meal agency and the introduction of new measures, including the formation of a mess committee in every school in the district. This committee, consisting of one or two teachers, will be tasked with ensuring food safety by tasting the meals before they are served.
Also Read: Telangana: 25 children fall ill after having mid-day meals at school
Adding to the severity of the incident, some students recovering in the hospital reported that the breakfast served to them was infested with worms. Videos of students describing their experience went viral on social media, drawing public outrage. Despite attempts by hospital authorities to minimize the issue, the situation quickly gained widespread attention.
Former Minister V Srinivas Goud visited the hospital to meet with the affected students and strongly condemned the incident. He expressed his concerns over the fact that students, who had already suffered from food poisoning, were served contaminated food. “If anything more serious were to happen, who will be held responsible? Who will answer to the parents of these students?” he demanded.
As the investigation continues, authorities are pledging to hold all those responsible accountable and to implement stricter controls on the quality of mid-day meals to prevent such incidents in the future.
(This story is sourced from a third-party syndicated feed. Raavi Media takes no responsibility or liability of any nature. Raavi Media management/ythisnews.com can alter or delete the content without notice for any reason.)