‘Missing’ mid-day meal stock at Giaspura school being probed

The issue was brought to light by officiating head teacher Sukhdhir Sekhon, who had reported that the school had completely run out of wheat grains, leaving only a small quantity of rice by December 2024

After a major discrepancy was found between the food grain stock recorded in October 2024 and the actual amount available at Government Primary School, Giaspura, district education officer (DEO Elementary) Ravinder Kaur on Wednesday ordered an inquiry into the mismanagement of food grain stock at the school.

This latest inquiry comes as part of a series of steps taken to address the growing concerns surrounding school management and ensure that students receive the resources and services they are entitled to. (HT File)

The issue was brought to light by officiating head teacher Sukhdhir Sekhon, who had reported that the school had completely run out of wheat grains, leaving only a small quantity of rice by December 2024. In light of this, Sekhon had written to the DEO, requesting the temporary suspension of the mid-day meal programme due to the shortage. “I informed the DEO nearly a week ago about the situation, detailing the stock available in the school,” said Sekhon.

Following this, Kaur directed Sidhwan Bet block primary education officer (BPEO) Hardev Singh to conduct the inquiry and is expected to submit a detailed report by January 4. Kaur said immediate steps had been taken to ensure that mid-day meal programme continues, with suppliers instructed to provide the necessary stock. “We couldn’t let the mid-day meal programme stop for the students,” Kaur stated.

As the inquiry progresses, Singh has confirmed that a large amount of wheat and rice grains were found to be missing, although he refrained from disclosing further details. Sekhon also highlighted that at the end of each month, a report detailing the consumption and remaining stock is submitted to the DEO office. “Earlier, discrepancies were found in the attendance of students during the tenure of former head teacher Nisha Rani, when it was reported that mid-day meals were being served to nearly 5,800 students daily. However, an inquiry revealed that only 1,800 students were actually receiving meals, which is why, the stock should have been available for at least another three months,” Sekhon explained.

Rani, who had been suspended in October, was reinstated in November but transferred to another school. The directorate of school education issued an order confirming her reassignment to Government Primary School, Mattewara.

During a visit in October 2024, Kaur discovered multiple irregularities, including discrepancies in student attendance records, mismatches between the attendance register and the e-Punjab portal, and incomplete stock registers for uniforms. Furthermore, the January 2024 grants for room construction had not been verified, and OMR sheets for competency assessments were reportedly missing from several classes.

This latest inquiry comes as part of a series of steps taken to address the growing concerns surrounding school management and ensure that students receive the resources and services they are entitled to.