HYDERABAD: The Telangana High Court has directed the state government to submit a detailed report on the incident of students falling ill due to suspected food poisoning at Mahatma Jyotiba Phule Girls’ Gurukul School in Uyyalawada, Nagar Kurnool district.
The court said that the report must include the causes of the illness and the total number of students affected. The next hearing has been scheduled for September 3.
The order came during the hearing of a PIL filed by Help the People Charitable Trust president Keethinidi Akhil Sri Guru Teja.
The petition sought court directions to ensure quality standards in mid-day meals provided in government schools and to set up a committee to regulate fees in private schools.
A bench comprising Chief Justice Aparesh Kumar Singh and Justice GM Mohiuddin heard the case on Tuesday. Arguing for the petitioner, advocate Chikkudu Prabhakar alleged that the government had been negligent in providing proper facilities to students in government hostels and residential schools.
He claimed that more than 100 students in Uyyalawada fell ill due to substandard food, and that repeated incidents of illness were occurring because the government was failing to ensure clean, nutritious meals as mandated by law.
Special government pleader M Ramakrishna, appearing for the state, requested two weeks’ time to furnish details on the incident. Granting the request, the bench adjourned the hearing to September 3.