Worm-infested food sparks student protest in Khandwa hostel:Tribal girls fall ill after meals, allege harassment by the warden; march to the Collectorate

Students of the Senior Tribal Girls’ Hostel in Khandwa have accused the hostel warden of mental and physical harassment. They say they are served rotten and worm-infested food. After falling sick, several students walked to the Collectorate to demand action. The protest ended only after the Additional Collector assured them of an inspection. Worms found in food plates On Monday, students found 3-inch-long worms in the food served at the hostel. Worms were found in the plates of five students. The students said spoiled and rotten food is served regularly. Several students vomited after eating the food. When they asked for medical treatment, the warden, Rekha Prajapati, took them to the hospital herself. However, she got them discharged within half an hour and brought them back to the hostel. Students walk to Collectorate Angered by the incident, all hostel students left for the Collectorate around 5 PM. They walked on foot to register their complaint against the hostel administration. Demand to meet the Collector At the Collectorate, the students demanded to meet Collector Rishabh Gupta. Officials informed them that the Collector was in a meeting. The students then sat on the ground outside his office and began chanting slogans. Protest continues despite officials’ efforts Officials from the Tribal Affairs Department reached the spot and tried to calm the students. However, the students refused to leave and insisted on meeting the Collector personally. Additional Collector steps in After nearly an hour of protest, the students ran towards the auditorium area. Seeing the situation, Additional Collector Srishti Deshmukh arrived and listened to their complaints. Students describe poor living conditions Students including Manisha, Monu, Bharti, Saloni, Sakshi and Khushboo said they live at the Senior Tribal Girls’ Hostel in Lalchowki. They claimed the food served is worse than jail food. They also said drinking water is dirty and the hostel is not cleaned regularly. Assurance given, protest ends Additional Collector Srishti Deshmukh assured the students that the hostel would be inspected. She promised that all problems would be resolved soon. Only after this assurance did the students end their protest.