BARIPADA: Owing to a shortage of rice, students in Betnoti block under Badasahi constituency in Mayurbhanj district were reportedly served puffed rice and dal in Mid-Day Meal (MDM) instead of cooked rice for the past few days. This has not gone down well with the parents who created a hue and cry on the school campus blaming district education department and school management for apathy. The incident came to the fore after students of Brahmapur High School complained to their parents about being served puffed rice along with dal on Thursday, Friday and Saturday under MDM scheme.
A resident of Durgapur village under Agria GP, Sumanta Parida who is also a parent besides being a member of the School Management Committee, stated that he came to know about the food after a parent of another child informed him on Saturday. “I called up Uttam Kumar Mohanta, a teacher, and asked him the reason behind this and he said due to non-supply of rice from the concerned department, the headmistress had advised to serve puffed rice and dal in MDM for lunch,” Parida said. Though the teacher assured him that the problem has been sorted out on Friday, the students were again served the same food on Saturday, said Parida.
He, along with other guardians and members of School Management Committee, rushed to the school and found the students being served puffed rice and dal on Saturday. On asking the headmistress of the school, they were told that rice for MDM has reached the school but due to a shortage of time, students had to be served puffed rice for another day.
The parents immediately informed the block education officer (BEO) Malati Tudu who expressed her shock at the discrepancy. “I am shocked to know about such mismanagement in schools. There is no provision to serve puffed rice to students under MDM,” said Tudu assuring parents to probe the matter and take action as per the report.