FIR against six in Melghat tribal ashram school food poisoning case | Nagpur News
Amravati/Nagpur: Police have registered an FIR against six people, including owner of a centralised kitchen that supplies meals to a govt tribal ashram school in Melghat, after nearly 70 students reportedly suffered suspected food poisoning over the weekend. Also, Maharashtra tribal affairs minister Ashok Uike ordered the kitchen to be shut down, while guardian minister Chandrashekhar Bawankule said the govt is considering demands from parents to replace the centralised kitchen model with a decentralised system.The incident occurred at Titamba ashram school in Dharni taluka, where students began vomiting and complained of stomach pain after Saturday night’s meal. Nearly 70 students, including 50 girls and 19 boys, were admitted to Dharni sub-district hospital. All but one girl were discharged the same day after their condition stabilised, while the remaining student was kept under observation.Based on a complaint filed by school headmaster, police have registered an FIR against kitchen contractor and five others under provisions of Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita (BNS) and Food Safety and Standards Act. The school superintendent has been suspended and a show-cause notice issued to the headmaster. Similar complaints of food poisoning were reported from ashram schools in Bijudhawadi, Sawlikheda and Susarda, all of which receive meals from the same centralised kitchen. Officials, however, said students at those schools were stable.During a visit to Dharni and Titamba, Uike met affected students and their parents and directed authorities to immediately stop meals supplied by the kitchen in question. He also called for a review of the system to prevent such incidents in future. The minister said strict action would be taken against anyone found responsible once the inquiry report is submitted. Following his intervention, students, parents and tribal organisations withdrew their agitation over the incident.Bawankule said parents were now pressing for a decentralised kitchen system. “All the parents there are tribal, and their demand is to decentralise the kitchen. If food poisoning occurs at one centralised kitchen, thousands of students could be put at risk. Therefore, there is a growing demand for a decentralised kitchen system,” he said.He added that the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) had taken cognisance of the matter and appreciated Uike for closely monitoring the situation. “Uike stayed awake through the night tracking the treatment of the students. I also monitored the situation throughout the night, ensured that all children received proper medical care and that no child died or suffered serious consequences,” Bawankule said, adding all affected students were now safe.Amravati MP Balwant Wankhede, who visited the school on Sunday, alleged administrative negligence and demanded suspension of both the superintendent and the headmaster, citing repeated complaints about quality of food served to students.
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