An allegation of schoolchildren engaged in manual labour has been levelled against a teacher in the district here.
Sources said on Monday as many as four students of Talachua –based Manjulapalli Primary School were engaged by school teacher Bhagyadhar Paramanik to bring book packets under the Sarva Shiksa Abhiyan (SSA) from the CRCC of Dolasahi cluster. Prakash Mandal (a student of class III), Sibashis Mandal and Santanu Mandal (students of class IV), and Nitish Mandal( a student of class V) brought the packets to the school by walking on a muddy road. Sibashis soon fell sick and was soon rushed to the Rajnagar CHC for treatment.
Protesting the act, the sick student’s father, Sambhunath Mandal, filed a complaint at the Block Education Office (BEO) of Rajnagar demanding action against the errant teacher. When contacted, BEO Harekrushna Nayak informed that he had started a probe into the alleged matter and would take action against the teacher if he was found guilty.