The Telangana Human Rights Commission (TGHRC) has taken suo motu cognizance of alleged food poisoning affecting girl students at the Government Women’s Polytechnic College hostel in Pebbair, Wanaparthy district, and has sought a detailed report from the district administration on the incident and the treatment provided to those affected.
The Commission, headed by chairperson Dr Justice Shameem Akther, acted on a news report published in a vernacular newspaper. The report alleged that the students fell ill after eating chicken for dinner at the hostel on October 7. The number of affected students was not specified in the material available, which described them as “about” girl students.
The report also alleged that the hostel warden and her husband tried to conceal the circumstances of the incident by attributing the students’ illness to viral fever. The allegation has not been independently established in the material supplied, and the Commission’s action is intended to obtain an official account of what happened.
In its proceedings, the TGHRC has asked the Wanaparthy District Collector to provide details of the circumstances leading to the students’ illness, their health condition and the medical treatment administered to them. The Commission’s intervention places the functioning of the hostel, food safety arrangements and the response to student health emergencies before a statutory rights body.
Government hostels and residential educational institutions carry responsibility for providing students with safe accommodation, food and access to timely medical care. In this case, the Commission’s request for a report is focused on establishing whether the affected students received appropriate treatment and whether the incident was properly reported to the authorities.
The case also highlights the role of district-level administration in monitoring facilities where students depend on institutional kitchens for daily meals. The District Collector’s report is expected to clarify the number of students affected, the nature of their symptoms, the treatment provided and the circumstances surrounding the reported illness.
The TGHRC has posted the matter for November 6, 2026, when the report is due to be submitted. No further findings or conclusions from the Commission were available in the supplied report.
