More than 500 girl students of Sri Chaitanya residential junior college at the Tanaballi Cross near here fell ill following food poisoning. The college is an exclusive girls campus.
Students started vomiting and had loose motions after eating dinner on Saturday, but the incident came to light only now. Though more than 500 girls had taken ill, the college management did not admit any of them to hospital and arranged for treatment at the hostel by the doctor who visits the campus regularly for general checkup. Some of the girls were put on saline.
After hearing about the incident, a dozen activists of the All India Students Federation staged a protest in front of the college and broke furniture in the reception area when the management refused to meet them.
While parents and AISF activists told the media that the students fell ill after they were served stale food, college dean T Rammohan denied it and asserted that the college serves only hygienic food on campus.
When this reported visited the campus, located 5 km from here, most of the parents are seen taking their wards to home.
When an irate parent questioned the management and threatened to withdraw her daughter from the college, the management told her to do as she wanted, but refused to return the tuition fee.
Sangeetha, a parent from Jammalamadugu, said food was being served under unhygienic conditions at the hostel and water from bathrooms and toilets overflows into rooms. A student said there was water scarcity on the campus and no water is available every other day.
Of the 1,200 students, more than 500 were sent home in the last couple of days. On Monday alone, about 120 students were sent home, as per the campus out gate records.
Parents were furious at the management for not informing them despite their wards falling sick. “Will they give my daughter back if she dies for want of proper treatment?” a parent questioned.
Out of the 1,200 students in the college, 250 stay in AC rooms paying a fee of `80,000 per annum. The fee for non-AC students is `35,000, but parents said the management collects at least another `15,000 in the name of books, material and pocket money and others.It comes to `1 lakh for non-ac students for their two-year study, while AC students spend about `2 lakh per annum.
Despite collecting big amounts, the management had failed to treat their wards properly, a parent laments.
Students further alleged that at the time of admissions, the management said there will be only 10 students in each room, but they have accommodated 20. Also, students and management give contradicting figures over the number of students in the college. While the management is saying there are only 1,200 students, some students said the strength is 1,400.