100 students fall sick after consuming contaminated food

Mahabubnagar: In a shocking incident, 100 students from Maganoor Zilla Parishad High School in Maktal constituency fell seriously ill on Wednesday after consuming mid-day meals contaminated with insect-infested rice. Despite this alarming situation, authorities allegedly continued to serve substandard food, putting the health and lives of school children at severe risk.

Former MLA Chittem Rammohan Reddy visited the school on Thursday and expressed outrage over the negligence. Upon inspecting the rice and curries prepared for the students, he discovered white worms in the uncooked rice and noticed a foul odor emanating from the stock. Reddy slammed the officials for providing rice unfit for consumption, questioning, “Would you serve such rice to your own children at home?”

Moved by the plight of the students, who tearfully shared their ordeal, Reddy took matters into his own hands. Using his own money, he purchased fresh rice from a grocery store, arranged for the meal to be cooked, and joined the students in eating the freshly prepared food.

The contaminated rice bags were later sent back to the Civil Supply Godown at Reddy’s insistence, and he requested the RDO and District Civil Supply Officer to supply quality rice by the following day.

This incident has sparked outrage among parents and locals, who are demanding accountability and immediate action against those responsible for the neglect. Despite a severe case of food poisoning, the lack of corrective measures highlights the ongoing risks faced by children relying on mid-day meals in government schools.