Mid-Day Meal row: School cook confirms 'salt-roti' was served in UP school

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The cook, who used to serve children 'chapatis and salt' in mid-day meal at a primary school at Hinauta village in the district, on Wednesday claimed that she had been serving 'chapatis and salt' to them for the past two years.

"The reports are totally true. Earlier we used to serve salt and rice and now salt and chapatti. 25 children in this school ate salt and chapatti. I have been here for the past two years. They used to provide very less material for food," the school cook Rukmani Devi told ANI.

"I cannot go and see every day what my children are doing. But since the matter has come to light, I am paying attention," said Bachni Devi, a parent.

"This is unbearable. I did not send my child to school to eat salt and chapatti," said Savita.

"My brother was sent to jail in a false case. He called the media and told the truth and so he is Jail. Now everybody knows the truth. Police come here and harass us and ask us to give a false statement," said Rajkumar.

"We are helpless. My brother should be released. The situation has been the same for the past two years in the school. We used to complain but they did not take any action," added Rajkumar.

Mirzapur District Magistrate Anurag Patel had on Tuesday justified that the filing of FIR against the journalist, saying that he should have taken snapshots instead of making a video of the incident.

A case was registered against the scribe who made the video of the children being served 'chapatis' and salt in mid-day meal at the primary school on August 22.

Meanwhile, the district authorities have also initiated an inquiry into the poor quality food in mid-day meal.

Under the Mid-Day Meal scheme, the students are to be served pulses, rice, chapatis, and vegetables along with fruit and milk on certain days to ensure necessary nutrition.