The management of Vidya Varidhi International School at Huliyar in Tumakuru district, where three students died after suspected food poisoning on Thursday, failed to provide proper care and protection to students in the hostel, the Tumakuru district Child Welfare Committee (CWC) members said.
The committee members, who visited the school in Chikkanayakanahalli, noticed that there was gross violation of Juvenile Justice (Care and Protection of Children) Act by the management while looking after 29 students who were in the hostel. Incidentally, the hostel was being run without statutory approvals.
“The students were not given enough care. No proper accommodation was provided. Cleanliness and hygiene in the hostel and kitchen was missing. The kitchen was not attached to the dining hall, and was full of rodents and pests with poor lighting and less ventilation. This is violation of the Act,” said CWC member S. Ramesh, who along with another member D. Vijaya visited the school after the incident on Thursday.
According to him, “The warden was not regular and there was no supervisor.” Mr. Ramesh said that the school authorities had denied students their right to healthy food and shelter.
The committee is expected to send its report to the State government within the next week. “We have asked for reports from all the departments concerned and once we get them we will compile it before sending it to the government,” said CWC Chairperson Ganesh Prasad.
The Public Health Institute in Bengaluru is expected to give the chemical and biological analysis report of the18 samples, including rice and sambar, within a week, said district surgeon Veerabhadraiah. Additional Superintendent of Police Manjunath said that the chemical and analysis report from FSL, Bengaluru, is expected within a fortnight.
Meanwhile, Sudarshan, the class 8 student, who is being treated at the Tumakuru district government hospital, complained of burning sensation in his chest on Saturday. “He was scheduled for discharge on Saturday. However, he will be discharged later after observation,” said Dr. Veerabhadraiah. He said that security guard Ramesh is recovering, but still on ventilator.
First aid not administered?
The school authorities did not administer first aid on the hostel premises soon after children started falling sick, says Tumakuru district Child Welfare Committee member S. Ramesh.
Y. Shreyas, a class 8 student, and Akanksh Pallakki and Shantha Murthy, both class 10 students, were declared brought dead at the Tumakuru Government Hospital around 4 a.m. on Thursday. Students, who were admitted to a local clinic initially, were later shifted to the government hospital, nearly 145 km away from Huliyar.
“Ideally, children should have been rushed immediately to Tumakuru. However, they were monitored at a local clinic and sent to Tumakuru by 11.30 p.m.,” Mr. Ramesh said. and added that the school authorities had denied students of their right to healthy food and proper treatment.
