Mid-Day Meal Scam Exposed in Sitamarhi Schools: Officials Find Inflated Attendance

• Surprise inspections in Sitamarhi schools revealed a major Mid-Day Meal scam involving inflated student attendance and food grain discrepancies.
• At Bakri Secondary School, only 174 students were present, but records showed an average of 351; attendance registers were missing.
• Parchhadya Muslim Tola Primary School had only 40 students present against a recorded average of 117; headmaster found consuming gutkha.
• Three assistant teachers at Parchhadya Muslim Tola Primary School were absent after marking attendance; school premises were dirty.
• District Program Officer sought explanations from headmasters within 24 hours, warning of strict action and withholding salary for one school.