Kendrapara: An 11-year-old girl in this district walked for over 10 km to the district Collectorate here and lodged a complaint with the Kendrapara Collector against her father for allegedly taking away mid-day meal (MDM) money and rice sanctioned to her, a report said Tuesday.
Sushree Sangeeta Sethi (11), a student of Class-VI in Dumuka Primary School under Marshaghai block in the district, met Collector Samarth Verma and lodged a complaint accusing her father Ramesh Chandra Sethi of forcibly taking the MDM money and rice sanctioned to her. She walked for over 10 km on foot and reached the Collectorate in the district headquarters town.
Sangeeta stated in her complaint that following her mother’s death two years back, her father remarried last year. Since then, she has been subjected to neglect by her father and Sangeeta has been staying at her uncle’s house as her father and stepmother refused to take care of her.
She stated that her school has remained closed due to Covid pandemic but the government is giving 150 grams of rice and Rs 8.10 paise per day towards MDM to the students. The money is deposited in the bank accounts of students and their guardians once a month besides providing rice to them. Sangeeta was deprived of the same as she lacks a bank account and the money is deposited into her father’s account.
She alleged that when she asks for the money, Ramesh refuses to part with it and also takes her quota of rice from school.
Kendrapara Collector Samarth Verma received the complaint and directed the district education officer (DEO) to conduct a probe and take necessary action in this regard.
When contacted, DEO Sanjib Singh said as per the Collector’s order he conducted a probe into the charges and directed the school managing committee to deposit the money in the girl’s account and provide rice to her.
He clarified that the girl’s father had many times tried to usurp the money and rice but the school authorities have refused to give him. The MDM money will be deposited in the student’s account and steps will be taken to refund the money taken by her father to the girl. The school headmaster has been directed to provide rice only to the students.
PNN