Quil (Bandipora): Teachers of various schools of Quil Education zone in this north Kashmir district have stopped serving food to children under Mid-Day Meal School.
Zonal President issued a “diktat” to the heads of various schools to stop the food as Finance Department failed to release funds meant for the scheme.  The department, according to the teachers, has withheld the payment of Rs 6.75 lakhs, which was due for the year 2010.  
“We were serving the food as per norms till June 15. We stopped the Mid-Day meal scheme after our president was denied the pending amount,” said a teacher in Primary School. “We received an order from the Zonal president of Teachers Forum and we followed it,” the teacher added.
Talking to Greater Kashmir Showket Ahmed Sheikh Zonal President confirmed that he had issued a letter to all the school heads to stop serving Mid-Day meals till government releases the pending arrears.
“My teachers will not serve food till the Finance Department clears the dues,” he added. 
Teachers alleged that the government had diverted the funds meant for the Midday meal scheme towards some other activity.
Zubair Ahmed a class 5th student of Government Primary School Kloosa said that they have not received any food from past eight days as their teachers have been asked to stop the scheme.
Meanwhile, the officials in the Education Department have taken a strong note of the Zonal President issuing a letter to stop the meals. “It is not genuine to issue such a letter on part of zonal president who is also a teacher, it goes against the Supreme Court ruling” said ZEO Quil, Khursheed Ahmed.
“We have informed higher authorities about the issue,” he added.
Stating that Director Education Muhammad Shafi Rather has taken strong note of the issue, Chief Education Officer Abdul Qayoom Shah said the controversy erupted due to the concerned Treasury Office Bandipora stopping the payment of Rs 6.75 lakhs due to unknown reasons.
“I have been intimated by the directorate to initiate action against the Zonal President at an earliest. Issue of the payment will be sorted out within a few days,” Shah added.
Denying the allegations of Education Department Treasury Officer Bandipora Bashir Ahmed said that there are no arrears pending. “I have performed my job and have released their (Education Department) whole payment under norms,” the Treasury Officer said.

Lastupdate on : Sun, 8 Jul 2012 21:30:00 Makkah time
Lastupdate on : Sun, 8 Jul 2012 18:30:00 GMT
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