Mid-day meal scam: Police inactive

MALDA, Sept. 11: Villagers took their grievances to the inspection team during their visit to the Kulipara primary school at Makhna in Harishchandrapur-I block, today, demanding arrest of the headmaster on charges of misappropriation of rice allotted for mid-day meal.The five-member team visited the school today to probe the allegation that the headmaster of the primary school was allegedly trying to sell the mid-day meal rice in the open market. The team also found that the school was locked up and there was no student and other teachers. When the headmaster, Mr Sukul Singh, told the sub-inspector of school that villagers locked up the school and prevented teachers from entering the campus, villagers said that it was the headmaster who locked up the school to put blame on villagers.It may be recalled that on 9 September, villagers intercepted a rickshaw van loaded with 7.5 quintal rice allotted for mid-day meal, which was being allegedly transported to open market of the Makhna village. Police did not arrest the headmaster even after catching him red-handed. A senior police officer asked the joint block development officer of Harischandrapur-I to lodge a complaint against the headmaster.In reply the joint BDO, Mr Sougata Patra, said police would have to take action if there are several complaints against the headmaster. Police got mass petition from villagers against him."Without specific complaint police cannot arrest the headmaster on charges of mid-day meal scam. Mass petition is not sufficient to register a case against a headmaster of a primary school,” said Mr Sujit Sarkar, the additional SP for Malda. n SNS