Children barred from eating mid-day meal cooked by widow

Villagers in Bihar's Gopalganj district have prohibited children from eating mid-day meal cooked by a widow at a government-run school, an official said on Thursday.

Angered over reinstatement of a widow Sunita Kunwar as cook, the villagers and parents issued a diktat that the school will remain closed till she is removed.

"Some parents of students of Kalyanpur Middle School are unhappy after the district administration reappointed Sunita Kunwar as cook," district education officer Ashok Kumar said.

"They reportedly locked the school. It is a serious matter and an investigation has been ordered," Kumar added.

According to officials, after being pressurised by the villagers, the school committee had removed Sunita and appointed Babita Devi as new cook. Sunita's character was also questioned by the villagers.

However, Sunita complained about her arbitrary removal to the district magistrate, who directed an official to inquire into the matter.

After the inquiry report came, the district magistrate ordered her reinstatement.

Sixteen million students in 72,000 schools across Bihar get mid-day meal daily.