JAGATSINGHPUR: A dispute over handing of the charge to the in-charge headmistress has left government primary school without midday meal (MDM) for around a week in Doval under Balikuda block.
In response, the block education officer (BEO) has issued show-cause notices to three teachers and withheld their salaries for the month of June.
BEO Biswambar Mallick served showcause notices to in-charge headmistress Pranati Rout and two assistant teachers of the school, Manaswini Mohanty and Anita Khatua. Their salaries have been withheld for negligence of duty. Sources said headmaster of the school was transferred around a year ago.
However, the process of handing over charge to another teacher has remained incomplete as Pranati, who was a teacher at government upper primary school in Titira, reportedly declined to accept the charge of headmistress, arguing that there is no provision for a teacher serving on deputation to hold the charge of headmistress. Despite her objections, the BEO directed Pranati to take charge of the school.
The dispute over serving midday meal broke out last week when the cluster resource centre coordinator who was overseeing the MDM programme, was directed by the BEO to handover responsibility to the headmistress. Pranati refused to accept the charge which led to differences among the teachers and ultimately disrupted the programme.