A school in Kothapally village, Telangana, has sparked outrage after serving rice mixed with chilli powder to students as part of their mid-day meal. Opposition Bharat Rashtra Samithi (BRS) leaders have criticized the state government for the poor quality of food provided and have called for a review of the situation in all schools across the state.

Criticism from BRS Leaders

Former Telangana Minister KT Rama Rao condemned the Congress government for forcing children to eat rice with chilli powder due to bland dal. He expressed his outrage on social media, criticizing the scrapping of a breakfast scheme launched by the previous KCR government. “Is this the kind of atrocious food our school children deserve Telangana CM?? KCR government had launched a wonderful breakfast scheme for school children that Congress Govt has scrapped for no good reason. Now we see these kinds of reports, which are shocking. Request the Telangana CS to review the situation across all schools at the earliest,” KTR tweeted.

నిజామాబాద్ – కోటగిరి మండలం కొత్తపల్లి పాఠశాలలో మధ్యాహ్న భోజనంలో కారం లేని పప్పు వడ్డించారని పిల్లలు తినేందుకు ఇష్టపడలేదు.. దీంతో పిల్లలకు గొడ్డు కారం, నూనె పోసి ఇవ్వగా పిల్లలు దాంతోనే కడుపు నింపుకున్నారు.

Is this the kind of atrocious food our school children deserve… pic.twitter.com/gjLwWFcKqV

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— KTR (@KTRBRS) August 5, 2024

Former Telangana Health Minister Harish Rao also criticized the Congress government, stating that the incident reflects the negligent attitude of Revanth Reddy’s administration.

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Incident Details and Aftermath

The incident occurred on August 2 when the mid-day meals agency served rice mixed with chilli powder and oil to the students. Images of the food went viral on social media, prompting an inquiry by the district education officer. Several parents reported that their children suffered stomachaches and fell ill after consuming the meal.

In response to parents’ complaints, Nizamabad DEO N Durgaprasad, the mandal education officer (MEO), the headmaster of Complex School, and other officials visited the school to conduct an inquiry. A teacher reportedly told inquiry officials that many students had dumped the food, calling it “bland and unappetizing.” Subsequently, more students were served rice with chilli powder and oil by the mid-day meal agency.

Response from District Education Officials

Upon learning about the matter, district education officials issued a stern warning to the meal service providers, directing them not to compromise on the quality of food. This incident has raised serious concerns about the quality of mid-day meals provided to students and has prompted calls for a thorough review of the situation across all schools in Telangana.

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