The Andhra Pradesh government is set to take decisive action against the caterers providing meals to students at the Nuzvid IIIT campus. The move follows a significant health scare that has affected hundreds of students over the past few days.
The State government is preparing to penalize Fine Caterers, Anusha Caterers, and KMK Caterers, which supply food to six hostels at the institute. The IIIT director has already imposed fines amounting to Rs 4.89 lakh on Fine Caterers and Rs 2.83 lakh on Anusha Caterers due to the recent food-related health issues. In light of these developments, the AP government is considering replacing the current caterers.
A total of 342 students at Nuzvid IIIT reported falling ill, with around 800 students experiencing symptoms such as fever, vomiting, and diarrhea over the past three days. The district medical and health officer (DMHO) has collected food samples for testing, and results are awaited to determine the cause of the outbreak.
The IIIT administration has formed a committee to investigate the incident thoroughly and address the issues surrounding the food safety standards maintained by the caterers. The director of the institute is scheduled to meet with the caterers today to discuss the matter and further actions.