39 Students Fall Ill After Meal at Belagavi School; BJP Blames Govt Negligence
BJP chief B Y Vijayendra slams Congress government over recurring food contamination incidents in residential schools.
BJP State President B.Y . Vijayendra on Tuesday criticised the Congress government for its “irresponsibility” in ensuring food safety for students after 39 children at the Morarji Desai Residential School for Minorities in Hirekodi village, Chikkodi taluk, fell ill allegedly after consuming contaminated food.
All students received medical attention and have recovered. Food, water, and stool samples have been sent for laboratory testing, officials said.
This is the second such incident at the same school in two months — in September, around 60 students had fallen ill after a similar episode. The residential school houses 520 students, including 429 from Classes 6 to 10 and the rest from PUC.
Officials said some students began complaining of vomiting, stomach pain, and uneasiness on Sunday night. “Except one student who had fever, others showed mild symptoms,” they said, adding that hostel authorities have been instructed to maintain hygiene and provide regular counselling to students.
Expressing concern over the incident, Vijayendra said in a post on X, “The report of 39 students falling ill after consuming contaminated food is deeply worrying. The recurrence of such incidents within two months at a school responsible for underprivileged children’s welfare reflects negligence and mismanagement in the Education Department.”
He accused the government of “carelessness” and said repeated incidents in government-run residential schools showed a “serious failure to act.” Vijayendra urged the state to ensure proper medical care for the affected students, reassure parents, and take strict legal action against those responsible to prevent a repeat of such incidents.
