Food safety in government schools: Telangana HC sets Six-week deadline
Hyderabad: The Telangana High Court has ordered committees constituted by the state government to submit a detailed report within six weeks regarding food safety in government-run educational institutions.
The directive comes in response to a petition by K.A.S. Guru Teja, Chairman of Help the People Charitable Trust. The petitioner alleges failures in implementing the midday meal scheme in government schools up to 8th class.
The court was addressing concerns about food poisoning cases and allegations of unhealthy food in state-run schools. The government operates various educational and welfare institutions, including schools, hostels, residential development centers, and Anganwadi centers under multiple departments.
On November 27, 2024, the Telangana government established a Task Force Committee to ensure food safety across institutions. The committee comprises three members, the Commissioner of Food Safety, the Head of the concerned institution, and a district-level officer.
In another order, the government mandated an institution-level committee at each institution. This committee, consisting of the institution’s head and two staff members, must inspect store rooms and kitchens before meal preparation. They are required to verify the quality of provisions, ensure kitchen hygiene, and taste food before serving, read the order from the Telangana government.
Unhealthy food in government schools
District collectors were handed over the job of supervising educational institutions. Mandal and division-level officers must visit premises before food preparation and, when possible, sample meals before serving them to students, read the order from Scheduled caste development department, Telangana.
The Additional Solicitor General assured the court that the state would take necessary steps to provide nutritious and healthy food to students in government and local body-run schools.
“The committees constituted by the state government in the wake of incidents 20-26 November, 2024 are directed to submit the report. The committees constituted by the state government shall submit the report within a period of six weeks,” ordered Telangana High Court.
The High Court further directed the Additional Solicitor General to submit a report on the committee constituted under the PM Poshan scheme.
