School headmaster suspended for misusing food allowance of students

KENDRAPARA:  The district education office on Wednesday suspended the headmaster of a school on the charge of misappropriating the food security allowance of students under mid-day meal scheme during the Covid-19 pandemic.

The accused was identified as Prasan Karan, the headmaster of Rajendranarayanpur primary school in Rajnagar block. Sources said Karan had withdrawn Rs 91,000 from the bank on October 22 last year to disburse it as food security allowance among students. 

However, he did not provide the fund to students allegedly misappropriated the amount. Last week, some villagers approached the block education officer (BEO) of Rajnagar in this regard. Acting on the allegation, BEO Manoranjan Sethi launched an investigation and found that the headmaster had misappropriated the funds meant for food security allowance of around 374 students of the school. Subsequently, he was placed under suspension.

In 2020, the State government had ordered distribution of the food security allowance to eligible school students across Odisha under the mid-day meal programme during Covid-induced lockdown. This is not the first time a teacher has faced the suspension axe for irregularities in mid-day meal scheme in the district. Three years back, the headmaster of Chandannagar school was suspended for not providing mid-day meals to students regularly. 

Similarly four years back, the headmistress of Indupur primary school was placed under suspension for inflating the number of students taking the noon meal. She had allegedly misappropriated the rice, dal and money meant for students who were not present in the school to take the mid-day meal.