GHMC Mayor Vijayalakshmi ordered an inspection of Sancta Maria International School's kitchen, following several complaints from parents.
Published Sep 16, 2023 | 7:30 AM ⚊ Updated Sep 16, 2023 | 7:30 AM
The Food Safety officers conducted the inspection on 15 September. (Supplied)
Dirty walls and oily floors, dark-coloured oil used for cooking, open dustbins, corroded cooking utensils… these are some of the many horrors that were revealed by Food Safety officers of Greater Hyderabad Municipal Corporation (GHMC) when they conducted an inspection at Sancta Maria International School in Serilingampally, Hyderabad.
The officials have confirmed that the kitchen will be seized on Saturday and serious action will be taken if such conditions are found in any other schools.
Photos from the inspection. (Supplied)
The parents of children studying in Sancta Maria International School approached GHMC Mayor Gadwal Vijayalakshmi and requested her to conduct a surprise inspection of the school as they were not satisfied with the food being served to their wards. They claimed that the children were falling sick frequently.
Following the complaint, Mayor Vijayalakshmi ordered food inspectors to check the school and submit a detailed report.
Mayor Gadwal Vijayalakshmi took to X, formerly Twitter, on the evening of 15 September and said, “Spoke to Rangareddy collector Harish and Minister for Education Sabitha Indra Reddy personally today and the minister has directed the collector to take strict action against the school management.”
Spoke to Rangareddy collector Harish garu and Minister for Education @BrsSabithaIndra Garu personally today and the minister has directed the collector to take strict action against the school management . https://t.co/Us3Eo7YIGh
— Vijayalaxmi Gadwal, GHMC MAYOR (@gadwalvijayainc) September 15, 2023
A long list of observations were made by the inspecting officers. The dosa-making equipment was found to be made of a corrosive material, which is not easy to clean, and the floors were dirty and slippery near the oil-frying areas.
The officials also found water stagnation along the edges of the kitchen floor.
Photos from the inspection. (Supplied)
They also noted in their report that many kitchen equipment were not being maintained properly, as per manufacturer instructions, dustbins were found without lids in the kitchen and canteen areas, chimneys were greasy, workers’ clothes were found drying on the plates used by the children, prepared idli batter and trifle pudding were found in cold storage without the date of preparation or expiry mentioned, dry masala powders and dry food items were stored without an expiry date.
The report further mentioned that there was no segregation of raw and cooked food material. A vada pav masala packet was found, which had expired in June 2023.
In terms of documentation, the school did not have pest control records, cleaning records, no medical certificates, and no food safety supervisor for the 45 workers.
Samples of red chili sauce, vinegar, and cooking oil found in the kitchen have been sent to the State Food Laboratory for analysis and action will be taken based on the report.
The GHMC officials said that a show cause notice will be issued to the school management for the violations observed during the inspection and also adjudication will be filed before the Additional Collector (Revenue) of Rangareddy district in order to impose a penalty on the school for the above violations.
Photos from the inspection. (Supplied)
Narasimha, Senior Food Inspector of GHMC, told South First, “We have over 20 food inspectors in GHMC and we react to complaints forwarded by the GHMC. There is a toll-free number 040-21111111 and anybody who wants to raise a complaint can call this number and the issue will be taken by the concerned wing.”
He added, “Mayor Vijayalakshmi had ordered us to visit the school Sancta Maria International School and we sent food inspectors. Initially, the management tried to threaten us by capturing pictures of our officers, however, they went ahead and finished the inspection. As we cannot take the decision of closing the canteen or kitchen, the higher officials will take a call.”
