Patna: The Bihar Education Department has issued show-cause notices to approximately 1,450 headmasters or in-charge officials of government-run primary and middle schools. These notices were issued after they failed to respond to a feedback system concerning the mid-day meal scheme.
In a recent letter addressed to District Education Officers (DEOs) across the state, the department further specified that the salaries of 1,434 headmasters/in-charge are "withheld until further notice."
Headmasters did not respond to IVRS
According to the directive, these 1,434 headmasters/in-charge failed to engage with the Interactive Voice Response System (IVRS), which was developed by the department to oversee the execution of the mid-day meal scheme across 72,000 government schools, spanning the period from November 1, 2023, to January 31, 2024.
Within the IVRS system, headmasters or in-charge personnel are prompted with three questions aimed at gathering information: first, regarding the presence of students in school; second, the count of beneficiaries; and third, whether the food prepared is as per the menu of the day.
According to the letter obtained by news agency PTI, the district with the highest number of headmasters or in-charge personnel who failed to respond to the IVRS system during the period was Siwan, with a maximum of 175. This was followed by Madhubani with 112 and Darbhanga with 78.
Bihar Education Minister Sunil Kumar was not available for comment on the issue.
(With PTI inputs)
Also Read: PM Modi invokes 'jungle raj' to attack Lalu Prasad Yadav at NDA rally in Bihar's Nawada
