Children served 1 litre milk diluted in one bucket water during mid-day meal in UP's Sonbhadra

Sonbhadra: The adage `as mild as milk` seems to have been stretched for a government primary school in  Sonbhadra, Uttar Pradesh, which has been accused of serving its students diluted milk under the mid-day meal scheme. Authorities at the government primary school, Salai Banwa in Chopan of the tribal Sonbhadra district here on Wednesday allegedly added one litre of milk to a bucket full of water and served it to as many as 85 children.

The children at the primary school are given a glass full of milk in their mid-day meal to make their diet wholesome. However, the employees said there was unavailability of adequate quantity of milk so they resorted to diluting it with water to cater to the requirement. "We were given milk in which water was mixed," said Pooja a class 4 student. "There were almost 85 children and there was only one packet of milk. Sir, told me to mix water after which one bucket full was added. The milk was served hot after boiling it," said a woman employee.

The matter came to the notice of district officials who made a visit to enquire about the incident and check the quality of mid-day meal. "I am being told milk was unavailable, so they were directed by the authority to mix water in it, in a balanced quantity. I am also being told that teachers had gone to get more milk but meanwhile pictures were clicked and distributed," said Assistant Basic Shiksha Adhikari, Sonbhadra, Gorakhnath Patel. "I am investigating the matter, action will be taken against the culprits," he said.

In September, a case was registered against a scribe who made a video of children being served `chapatis` and salt in mid-day meal at the primary school in Mirzapur on August 22. 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.