Shillong, March 18: In the wake of a tragic food poisoning incident at a residential school in Malavalli, Karnataka, which claimed the lives of two students from Meghalaya, Health Minister M. Ampareen Lyngdoh has urged parents to exercise greater caution and scrutiny when choosing educational institutions for their children.
“This is an eye-opening tragedy that highlights the need for scrutiny. We must ensure stringent advisories, educate our community, and learn from this incident to prevent future occurrences,” Lyngdoh stated while addressing the Press.
She stressed the importance of verifying the credibility and management of schools and hostels, highlighting that the safety and well-being of students must never be compromised.
The Meghalaya government has announced an ex-gratia payment of ₹3 lakh to the families of the deceased students and assured full medical support for those undergoing treatment. The tragic event affected a total of 24 students from Meghalaya residing in the hostel, all of whom were hospitalized by the district administration immediately following the incident.
Officials from Meghalaya, including Inspector of Schools P. Sunn and Sub-Divisional School Education Officer R. Kharsyntiew, have been dispatched to Karnataka to assist the families and coordinate with local authorities. Meghalaya Chief Minister Conrad K. Sangma confirmed that arrests had been made in connection with the tragedy, including the owner of the residential school and the hostel warden.
