Watery gravy, rotis on floor: Viral mid-day meal video gets UP headmistress suspended
An FIR has been lodged against the headmistress and the cook of the school on charges of embezzlement of food material supplied by the government and indulging in corrupt practices.
The video purportedly showed chunks of potato floating in watery curry ladled onto the children’s plates. (Photo: Screengrab from X/@INCIndia)
After a video showing watery vegetable curry being served to students during the mid-day meal at a primary school in Uttar Pradesh’s Sitapur district went viral on social media, the education department Wednesday suspended the school’s headmistress and terminated the services of the cook.
Officials said an FIR was also registered against the two at the Mahmoodabad police station late Wednesday evening.
The video purportedly showed chunks of potato floating in watery curry ladled onto the children’s plates. Rotis handed out to the children fell on the floor, before one child picked one up and put it back on his plate.
क्या आप इसे ‘सब्जी’ कहेंगे? 👇
शायद नहीं… लेकिन यूपी के स्कूलों में बच्चों को मिड डे मील में यही सब परोसा जा रहा है।
BJP सरकार पौष्टिक आहार के नाम पर बच्चों के साथ ऐसा घटिया और भद्दा मजाक कर रही है।
Sitapur District Magistrate Dr Rajaganapathy R and Basic Shiksha Adhikari (BSA) Gorakhnath Patel said in a statement that the block education officer (BEO), Udaimani Patel, who is the immediate supervising official for primary schools in the block, was also held responsible for dereliction of duty. An adverse entry was made in his service record.
The BEO and the Block Development Officer of Mahmoodabad were asked to conduct a preliminary inquiry after the video went viral.
Advertisement
They traced it to a primary school in Chhangapur village in Mahmoodabad block. They visited the school and spoke to students and villagers to verify the video. It was found to be genuine, following which a report was submitted to the District Magistrate’s office and the BSA.
The district magistrate held the headmistress, Kalpana Verma, and cook, Aneeta, responsible for failing to serve food and milk in the mid-day meal as per prescribed norms and for preparing food of poor quality despite the required supplies being provided on time.
The BSA, in an order, ordered Verma’s immediate suspension and terminated Aneeta’s services. Aneeta was employed on a contractual basis.
The SHO of Mahmoodabad police station told The Indian Express that an FIR has been lodged on a complaint by the BEO against the headmistress and the cook on charges of embezzlement of food material supplied by the government and indulging in corrupt practices.
The video purportedly showed chunks of potato floating in watery curry ladled onto the children’s plates. (Photo: Screengrab from X/@INCIndia) 
Share
