PATNA: The Bihar education department has issued a letter asking its teachers to sell empty gunny bags at Rs 20 per piece and deposit money in district treasuries or concerned bank accounts.
The letter to sell empty gunny bags was issued to the DPOs on August 14, 2023, by director, midday meal, Mitilesh Mishra.
In turn, DPO directed the headmasters of all schools under their jurisdiction to comply with the order on a priority basis or be prepared to face disciplinary action. The headmasters of schools subsequently entrusted the responsibility to their subordinate teachers.
The education department is also planning to reduce the lunch period by 15 minutes and increase the timing of classes.
Meanwhile, the Opposition BJP took a jibe at the directive and accused the Bihar CM of ruining the education system in the state.
“Teachers are being engaged in non-teaching work, risking the students' future,” alleged BJP OBC cell's national general secretary Nikhil Anand.
In Bihar, food grains packed in gunny bags are supplied to government schools for midday meals. The sacks are piled up at schools after the use of grains and subsequently sold in the market. However, the recent directive has come as a bolt from the blue for the teachers and their heads.
“Not only the rate of gunny bags has been doubled compared to the previous year's rate but also asked to comply with the directive on a priority basis. Are we meant for these things?,” said a visibly upset school teacher in Samastipur district.
The last time rate of empty gunny bags was revised in 2016. As per the revised rate, each empty gunny bag was to be sold for Rs.10.
The education department has hogged the limelight ever since a senior IAS K K Pathak assumed charge as additional chief secretary in the education department. Known as a no-nonsense officer, Pathak has issued a series of directives to improve the condition prevailing in government schools.
A senior official of the state education department said that in most of the schools, the midday meal is prepared at the school level and served to the students by the cook. But in some districts like Vaishali, the midday meal is supplied to all schools by an NGO. According to officials of the state education department, the midday meal is served to students studying in 70,332 primary and middle schools per day across the state.