Bihar’s academics say that it’s not our job to promote mid-day meal sacks; to protest

On July 22, Bihar’s mid-day meal director Satish Chandra Jha issued an order asking every district program officer to promote empty sacks on the price of Rs 10 per piece and deposit the quantity with the federal government.

The order got here after the Principal Accountant General had sought particulars of the sacks used for the mid-day meal scheme in 2014-15 and 2015-16.

Last week, Mohammad Tamizuddin, a trainer from Katihar, was seen in a video strolling with sacks on his head and urging individuals to purchase his luggage. Or else, he was heard saying within the video that was shared extensively, his wage could also be deducted. Tamizuddin was later suspended for “violating” the conduct guidelines of panchayat academics.

Bihar Primary School Teachers Association president Brajnandan Sharma stated: “We have held a gathering with our varied associations and have determined to carry a protest towards the suspension of the trainer…. We (additionally) are opposing the federal government order directing academics to promote luggage at block headquarters on August 13 and at district headquarters on August 16.

State’s extra chief secretary, training, Sanjay Kumar advised The Indian Express, “There is nothing wrong with the order of the MDM director. Teachers are not asked to sell sacks as seen in the viral video – they can engage kabaddiwalas…”

But state Middle School Teachers’ Association spokesperson Abhishek Kumar lamented that the “primary identity of teachers” ought to be maintained. He stated that many states have excluded academics from this scheme.

Brajnandan Sharma stated: “It is not the job of a teacher to sell gunpowder. (But in Bihar) teachers are more engaged in non-teaching work than their main function of imparting education.”