Mid-day meal quota raised for fake students

KENDRAPARA (Orissa): A photographic drive in the government-run primary schools in Orissa's Kendrapara district had revealed the presence of more than 11,000 fake students in the school registers.

Though names of 11,266 students were in the enrolment register, but the children could not be traced in reality.

However, MDM (midday meal) ration against these fake students were being sanctioned, officials said.

"As many as 11, 266 students were not traceable and could not be covered under the photographic exercise. It should be construed that the enrolment of these 'missing' students were on pen and paper only," Kendrapara Collector Dhananjaya Das told PTI.

"A drive was launched and all school children were photographed. Their snapshots were affixed in the school attendance register. It has been found that around 12,000 fake students were enrolled in attendance registers," he said.

Every year the government exchequer in Kendrapara was coughing up Rs 78,07,338 towards the cost of ration earmarked for such fake students. The beneficiaries of enrolment scam were mostly from district social welfare department and schools and mass education department officials, sources said.

MDM suppliers too had a share in the spoils, officials.

The ration cost specified against each of the enrolled student stood annually at Rs 693, according to official sources.