Patiala school staff accuse principal of irregularities in mid day meal scheme

The school is already facing an inquiry from the district education department over its failure to disburse MDM to 800 students during the lockdown

Patiala The entire workforce of 59 at Government Model Senior Secondary School, Pheel Khana village, including the vice-principal, have complained against their principal Karamjeet Singh, accusing him of committing irregularities in the Mid Day Meal (MDM) scheme.

The principal has said he only distributed what he was sent to the school. (AFP)

The matter came to such a head after the school distributed stale rice and wheat, infested with insects and worms, to parents of students at the school premises on Tuesday. Packets of 4kg of rice and wheat were distributed even as the MDM workers, ordered to distribute this ration alleging that the grain was not in an eatable condition. The school is already facing an inquiry from the district education department over its failure to disburse MDM to 800 students during the lockdown.

HT has a copy of the complaint, which states, “No accurate information has been given to us by school principal Karamjeet Singh on the MDM. There are several irregularities. The principal has distributed ration only three times and that, too, not to all students.”

Of 59 staffers, 45 are teachers, four class-4 employees, two members of non-teaching staff and eight MDM workers. Block primary education officer Prithi Singh, said, “We are already conducting an inquiry into it. The head office had sought the MDM record of school. We sent it to them.”

Santosh, an MDM worker, who has been with the school for years said, “On Monday, they told us to open the drums (containers), of leftover ration. These drums had grain that had been kept over for over a year. That is why I can vouch for the inedible quality of the rice and wheat.”

Principal Karamjeet said, “We are only supplying what we got from the department. We had received the rice in such a condition.”

Deputy district education officer (secondary education), Sukhwinder Khosla, said, “Yes, the school has delayed ration distribution. As far as I know, the rice was already infested when the school got its supply. We are looking into the matter.”