Mid-day meal worker caught 'siphoning off' rice

Mid-day meal workers at Sri Mata Akkamahadevi High School were caught while allegedly smuggling 50 kg of rice from the school.

The residents said they noticed Roopa and Vasantakumari carrying a bag of 25-kg rice each from the school to their houses and handed them over to the school authorities. The residents submitted a complaint to the block education officer. As Friday was declared holiday for the school, the residents came to the school on Saturday and inquired Head Master Sudarshan about the alleged irregularities. A personnel of the BEO office came to the school and seized the rice after inquiring the residents about the alleged theft.

After interrogating the staff, assistant director of the mid-day meal project Ashwathnarayana said that the head master had asked them to take home sifted rice and they were not carrying the rice meant for children.

However, Sudarshan was not available for comments, he added. A report will be submitted to the BEO.

The residents alleged that it was second such incident in a gap of three-four months and the head master is said to have told the workers to take home the rice.