M’tra Tribal Students In Palghar Protest ‘Unhygienic’ Food Supply, Submit 13-Point Demands

Hundreds of tribal students from residential schools in Maharashtra’s Palghar district staged a protest demanding an immediate end to the central kitchen system, alleging that the food supplied to their schools was often stale, unhygienic and unsafe for consumption.

The students took out a march and later staged a sit-in outside the Tribal Development Project office in Jawhar on Tuesday, raising concerns over the quality of meals being served at residential ashram schools.

According to the protesting students, meals prepared at a centralised kitchen are transported over long distances before reaching the schools. They alleged that the extended transit time affects the quality of the food, with meals sometimes reaching them in an inferior and unhygienic condition.

The students also expressed fears that consuming such food could expose them to food poisoning and other health risks, particularly because many of the schools are residential institutions where students depend on the meals provided by the authorities.

During the protest, the students submitted a 13-point charter of demands to the project officer. Their demands highlighted what they described as administrative neglect and continuing mismanagement of basic welfare and facilities at residential schools operated by the Tribal Development Department.

The protesters initially refused to withdraw their agitation, insisting that concrete action was needed to address their concerns rather than assurances alone.

The situation was later brought under control after officials assured the students that steps would be taken to improve food quality at the schools. Following the assurance, the students called off their protest.

The incident has once again drawn attention to the importance of ensuring safe, nutritious and hygienic meals for students living in residential schools, particularly those run for tribal communities.