Lucknow: The Uttar Pradesh Basic Education Department has ordered a probe after a video clip went viral on social media, showing chapattis meant for mid-day meal strewn on the floor and being transferred to a plastic bag. The video is of primary school Goyla in Bakshi Ka Talab area of Lucknow. Basic Shiksha Adhikari (BSA) Arun Kumar said he had seen the video and ordered a probe.
He said as per rules, the entire mid-day meal distribution was to be done under the watchful eyes of the headmaster and teachers. The video exposes the tall claim of the state basic education department of hygiene in the distribution of mid-day meals in schools. School headmistress Babita Kumari said Akshay Patra served the mid-day meal in the school.
She said there were 293 students in the school and 181 were present on Saturday and on Monday, only 169 students had turned up. "Due to Navratri fasting, a few Class 5 students did not have meals. Also, every student does not like chapatis. They prefer tehri, vegetables, rice and pulses. So, there were excess chapatis. After mid-day meal was served, these surplus chapatis were bundled in a plastic bag to be disposed of," she said.
Block education officer Preeti Shukla who is investigating the case, said she went to the school and according to her findings, the video was of Monday. She said it was true that the chapatis should not have been kept on the floor but they were not served to the students.
She said, "Surplus chapatis were being put in a plastic bag to be disposed of. There are complaints against the cook and her behaviour is not good. Notice has been served to her." (IANS)
