KOLKATA: A row over chicken pieces in the mid-day meals served in a school on Thursday landed all the teachers in a soup. The incident happened at Amriti Primary School at Englishbazar area of Malda district when parents, angry with the teachers for allegedly keeping all the good portions of the chicken for themselves, locked them up in a room on Thursday.
The district administration ordered a probe into the parents’ allegation. The parents stormed the premises of the institution, saying that the teachers take away all the leg pieces and other meaty portions from the issued quantity of chicken, serving the students neck, liver and stomach. They alleged that the teachers are in a “picnic mood” on the day chicken is scheduled to be a part of the mid-day meal, and they cook it separately using better quality of rice.
The trouble at the Malda school started when students returned home disappointed on the days they were scheduled to get chicken curry and complained that they were served the leftover parts. “The parents and guardians of the students came to the school and raised the issue with the teachers. Both the parties got involved in an altercation. The parents took six teachers in a room forcibly and locked the door from outside. The teachers were kept locked up for over four hours.
Later, the police intervened and the teachers were freed,” an officer said. He added that the teachers were accused of cooking separately using better quality of rice and chicken leg pieces. The teacher in charge of the school refused to comment on the incident. Nikhil Singha, a member of the local gram panchayat, said, “It is unfortunate that teachers are depriving the students of their food supplied by the state government,” he said. Basanti Burman, chairman, district primary education board, said the school inspector (primary) has been asked to conduct an investigation.
6 TEACHERS LOCKED UP FOR 4 HOURS
When students complained that they were served the leftover parts, the parents raised the issue with the
teachers. Both parties got involved in an altercation. The parents took six teachers in a room forcibly and locked the door from outside. The teachers were kept locked up for over four hours.