Protests erupt over Mid-Day Meal rice theft

Cooch Behar: Protest broke out at the Manasai Jalalia Madrasa Shiksha Kendra in Tufanganj Block-II following the alleged theft of rice designated for the Mid-Day Meal program. This incident, which occurred on Thursday, prompted local residents to protest by locking the school, alleging that a group-D employee was involved in the theft. Community members accused the head teacher of attempting to protect the accused employee, leading to heightened tensions in the area. Although the situation eventually calmed, the protests reflected deep community concerns.

Local resident Abu Bakar Siddique reported: “On Wednesday night, we saw a group-D employee taking rice from the Mid-Day Meal kitchen. We followed him home, where we found the stolen rice at his house. This isn’t the first time that there has been a theft of school supplies.”

Residents have expressed frustration over the head teacher’s absence after school hours, suggesting that it creates an environment where misconduct can occur. They organised this protest to voice their discontent regarding the ongoing issues.

In response, head teacher Majibul Haq Byapari stated: “I was informed about the incident by phone on Wednesday night. Upon arriving at school on Thursday, I found that local parents had locked the school gate in protest. An incident of rice theft has indeed occurred, implicating some school employees. I will be filing a written complaint at the police station regarding this matter.”