A serious health hazard came to light at the Government Nursing College hostel situated within the Maharani Hospital premises in Chhattisgarh's Bastar district headquarters. On Monday, intense unrest erupted among the hostel residents when worms and crawling insects were discovered in the lunch served to them. The students, who had already been distressed over deteriorating food standards for months, reached a breaking point upon spotting larvae floating in their meal trays. United against the persistent neglect of their basic well-being, hundreds of female students walked out of the dining facility and confronted both the mess contractor and the college administration.
Ignored Warnings and Deteriorating Food Conditions
According to the resident students, the quality of nutrition provided by the mess facility had been substandard for a considerable period. Meals regularly emitted foul odours, and decaying ingredients were frequently utilized in preparation. Daily provisions included watered-down lentils lacking basic substance and chapatis that were served completely uncooked. Frustrated by the unhygienic conditions, students had previously submitted multiple formal written grievances to the hostel warden, administrative authorities, and the mess contractor. However, supervisory officials consistently neglected the complaints, shelving each representation without enforcing quality controls. This bureaucratic apathy allowed the contractor to operate without accountability, culminating in the contamination of the food supply with insects.
Evidence Collected as Students Launch Indefinite Sit-in
Upon discovering insects inside the cooked vegetables and lentil preparations during Monday afternoon's meal, the students moved swiftly to document the evidence. Using their mobile phones, they recorded video clips and captured clear photographs showing larvae inside the food. Armed with this proof, the students declared a total boycott of the mess and staged a sit-in demonstration right inside the college complex, raising slogans rejecting any compromise on hygiene. The protesting students stated that continuing to ingest contaminated meals poses direct risks of severe illness. They maintained that their agitation would continue without pause until the existing contractor's operating license is formally revoked and a verifiable, clean catering process is installed.
Student Outfits Join Agitation and Issue Warning
As news of the insect-infested food and the ongoing demonstration spread, members of the student organisation NSUI arrived at the campus to express solidarity with the nursing students. Led by NSUI district president Vishal Khambhari alongside student leaders Maaz Leela and Jyoti Rao, a sizeable group entered the nursing college premises and raised slogans against administrative negligence. The representatives pointed out that students undergoing clinical training to look after sick patients are being subjected to toxic and unhygienic food under institutional watch, describing the failure as an endangerment of student safety.
Management Faces Backlash and Promises Inquiry
Together with the affected students, the student leaders served an ultimatum to the institution, warning that failure to lodge a formal police complaint against the contractor and immediately overhaul the catering arrangements would force them to move their agitation from the campus onto the streets. Cornered by the escalating public backlash and photographic evidence, the college administration has been compelled to step back. College authorities have since attempted to defuse the standoff by promising a formal investigation into the matter and assuring strict measures against the mess contractor.
