Lizard in upma at Telangana government school: Centre takes 'serious note'

The Department of School Education and Literacy, Government of India on Friday took a "serious note" of the situation where a lizard was reportedly found in the upma at Telangana Model School, ANI quoted Education Ministry as saying.

The State Government of Telangana informed that the incident took place in Model School of Telangana Government's hostel as it added that they have taken serious action against the concerned officials.

This comes after a lizard was allegedly found in the breakfast served to students of a girls' hostel attached to a government school in Medak district of Telangana on Tuesday, an official said.

As many as 17 students who had eaten the breakfast were taken to a primary health centre in Ramayampet mandal and two students among them who had stomach pain were shifted to another hospital.

The remaining 15 students were discharged from the health centre, they said. A cook and an assistant cook were terminated for alleged negligence after a "lizard was found" in the breakfast while the caretaker and the Special Officer of Model School Girls' Hostel were served show cause notices, Medak District Educational Officer (DEO) said.

The State Government under its own scheme provides breakfast to Model Schools and is not covered under the PM POSHAN Scheme.

The Ministry of Education in its statement said that the PM POSHAN Scheme provides hot cooked midday meal in schools and all the States/UTs have been advised to take appropriate steps to ensure safety norms and provide properly cooked food for the students.

Meanwhile, nine students were bitten by rats at a hostel of a government residential school for girls in Medak district.

The students of class 9 were bitten by rats on Tuesday and Wednesday night when they were asleep in a room of the hostel, an official said on Thursday. They were provided treatment at a primary health centre in Ramayampet mandal and discharged.

(With PTI inputs)