File status report over food poisoning cases along with Task Force committees details: Telangana HC

Telangana High Court orders detailed report on food poisoning cases in schools, emphasizes prevention measures by Task Force committees.

The Telangana High Court on Thursday (December 6, 2024) directed the State government to file a detailed status report on all food poisoning instances reported in different schools in the State and furnish details of all the Task Force committees constituted by the State government from State to school level.

A Bench of Chief Justice Alok Aradhe and Justice J. Sreenivas Rao, hearing a PIL plea seeking a direction to State and Central governments to implement mid-day meal scheme in schools under Centre’s PM Poshan scheme, wanted the Task Force committees and the government to ensure food poisoning cases did not recur. The hearing of the PIL was resumed after advocate Chikkudu Prabhakar brought the spree of food poisoning instances in Maganoor Zilla Parishad High School of Narayanpet district in which several school students fell sick.

Expressing concern over the incidents affecting health of students during the previous hearing, the Bench directed Additional Advocate General Mohammed Imran Khan to secure instructions on the matter. On Thursday, the AAG informed the Bench that government had already decided to constitute to Task Force committees to check food poisoning cases in the schools. He informed the Bench that already disciplinary action had been initiated against the Maganoor school headmaster and the contractor supplying the food.

The matter had been adjourned for six weeks.