An instance of discrimination in serving food under the midday meal (MDM) programme has been reported from a primary school in Sundargarh district where students and an education official and those in school administration were treated differently at the same dining place.
The incidence was witnessed at the Tileimal Project Primary School in Bonai during a visit of the Block Education Officer (BEO) on October 3 before the Dussehra holidays.
According to reports, BEO Binay Prakash Soy visited the school for inspection of the MDM quality. After receiving a warm welcome from Headmaster Tupi Chandan Kisan, he preferred to sit with the students on the floor for lunch.
The students were excited to see the official with them. The partial treatment came into notice when only rice and dal were in the menu for the students and the school administrators along with the BEO were served additional dishes of chicken.
The incidence has come to the fore after a photograph showing the students and education officials having lunch went viral on social media.