Pune: Following a recent investigation, two government supervisors, Praveen Narayan Shinde and Dinesh Arvind Patil, have been suspended for serving food contaminated with larvae to tribal students in Pune District.
The suspension was confirmed by Abhay Govekar, head of the inquiry committee, and Project Officer Sandeep Patil.
The contaminated food, supplied by the Stree Shakti organization from Kotmadara in Ambegaon, affected over 4,000 tribal students from 16 ashram schools in Ambegaon, Khed, and Junnar talukas.
On July 7, larvae were discovered in soybean curry served at Gorhe Ashram School. This incident sparked protests from various organizations, including Birsa Brigade, Students Federation of India, Aam Aadmi Party, Shashwat Sanstha, and the Agricultural Produce Market Committee of Khed, demanding the suspension of the supervisors and the cancellation of the food supply contract.
Protests at the Tribal Project Office in Ghodgaon intensified over three days, leading to the administration's decision to suspend the supervisors overseeing the central kitchen.
Devdatt Nikam, a director of the Agricultural Produce Market Committee, supported the protests by maintaining a presence at the site.
Praveen Pardhi, district president of Birsa Brigade, hailed the suspension as a significant victory for their cause.