JAGATSINGHPUR: Hundreds of students in government schools of Erasama block have been forced to go without mid-day meal for the past few days as the institutions have no rice in stock.
Sources said despite availability of funds, rice meant for mid-day meals has not been supplied to the 29 schools in the block as a result of which around 1,735 students have been deprived of mid-day meals.
A teacher of Hajipur Nodal School, on condition of anonymity, said the 62 students of the institution were served the meals after procuring rice from a local trader.
However, the trader stopped supplying the stock three days back due to delay in payment of dues.
Some other teachers of the block said the agency entrusted with the task of supplying rice for mid-day meals to schools in the block has been sending the stock in the last week of every month instead of the first.
This has led to depletion of existing stock of rice in the schools. It is alleged that the agency has also been supplying less quantity of rice to the schools.
The parents of the students have sought the intervention of School and Mass Education Department to check irregularities in the scheme.
Meanwhile, Erasama Block Education Officer Jayant Kumar Ray said steps are being taken to supply rice to the affected schools as soon as possible.