By IANS,
Lucknow : Students of a government-run primary school in Uttar Pradesh refused to eat food as a Dalit woman had cooked it, an official said Tuesday.
The majority of students, belonging to the upper caste, refused to have lunch provided to them under the Mid-Day Meal Scheme by the Guraini Primary School in Khetaasrai village of Jaunpur, about 150 km from here.
“We have learnt that students were not eating food for the last four-five days. We have sought a status report from the school, which has some 200 students,” official in-charge of primary education in Janpur district Dhirendra Pratap told IANS.
He said the Dalit woman replaced an upper caste cook last week after he went on leave.
“In assistance with social activists and members of NGOs, we will meet parents of the students to resolve the matter,” an official said.
About 150,000 schools are covered under the Mid-Day Meal Scheme in Uttar Pradesh. Under the scheme, lunch is provided to students till Class 8. Over 18.6 million students are enrolled under the scheme in the state, officials said.