It was the second consecutive day of distress for students at the Maganoor government school. A day after several children were hospitalised due to food poisoning, the school management once again served worm-infested food for midday meal (MDM) on Thursday, November 21.
Adding to the students' woes, those undergoing treatment at the Mahbubnagar Government Hospital complained of finding insects in the upma served as breakfast.
Meanwhile, the remaining students who attended school on Thursday were shocked to discover worms in their lunch again. When they protested, the school staff requested them to wait, claiming that fresh food would be cooked and served.
However, a student said, "We come from other villages and cannot wait until fresh food is prepared."
Several students alleged that the rice served was undercooked and every plate had at least one insect. "We are hungry and have no food to eat. What do we do now?" lamented a student.
Director of School Education EV Narasimha Reddy said the district collector has sought an explanation from the district educational officer (DEO) regarding the incident.
Official hints at conspiracy
At the hospital, students receiving treatment also reported worm-infested food for breakfast. After raising complaints, the officials discarded the food and prepared fresh meals, a student claimed.
Mahbubnagar Additional Collector (Local Bodies) Shivendra Pratap told The New Indian Express that samples of the food had been sent to a laboratory for testing. "However, we did not find any insects in the cooked food bowls," he said.
Another official suggested that the complaints could be part of a deliberate attempt to defame the hospital. "The same food was served to all patients, but only two students complained," the official stated.
