Nutritious food items infested with worms, allegedly set on fire

Apathy of H.D. Kote School HM, cooking staff

H.D. Kote: About four to five sacks of wheat, supplied by the Government to the Government Higher Primary School at Antharasanthe in the taluk to provide food to the students, which were infested with worms as it was not used for a long time, was allegedly set on fire behind the school by the cooking staff and the head of the school. The incident has come to light lately.

There are over 200 poor students studying from 1st Standard to 7th Standard in the school and the State Government spends thousands of rupees to supply food articles to provide Midday Meals to the students.

But due to the negligent attitude of those in-charge of the Midday Meals and cooks, the food articles were not used sufficiently, leading to food articles including sacks of wheat getting spoiled and infested with worms.

As worms had infested sacks containing wheat, about four to five sacks of wheat was set on fire behind the school last week, the video of which had gone viral on social media following which the Education Department officials visited the spot, inspected the burnt sacks of wheat, issued a warning to those involved in it and went away.

Meanwhile, A. Raju, In-charge Assistant Director of Akshara Dasoha, who came to know about wheat sacks being burnt, visited the School, conducted an inspection and interrogated the Head Master, who casually said, “I do not know anything about it. It is the cooks who have done it. If I have done wrong, I will get four to five sacks of wheat from my money.”

Raju informed that when he questioned the cooks, they said that they do not know anything about it and added that due to non co-ordination between the cooks and the teachers had led to such an incident.

He said that the statements of the Head Master and cooks have been obtained and a letter containing the report has been sent to concerned Block Education Officer (BEO) Kantharaju.

Meanwhile, public said that due to negligent attitude from teachers and cooks, such incidents are happening in Government Schools. At least now, the authorities concerned should initiate strict action against teachers and cooks who display negligent attitude so that such incidents will not reoccur in future.

BEO Kantharaju has not submitted any reports about burning of wheat sacks supplied to provide Midday Meals at Antharasanthe Government Higher Primary School. The BEO has given wrong information that he has submitted the report. The Head Master will be held responsible for this incident. If worms had infested the wheat, information should have been given to the Department and the wheat sacks should have been returned back. I will initiate action as soon as I receive the report.

—Javaregowda, DDPI

The Government, to prevent students from hunger, had commenced Midday Meals scheme to the students. It is regrettable that wheat sacks were burnt. The Head Master is directly responsible for it. Authorities of the concerned Department are trying to hush up this incident. The Head Master should be suspended.

—Prakash Buddha, Taluk President of Karnataka Bheema Sena