An alleged ₹13.71 lakh irregularity in the mid-day meal scheme has come to light at an intermediate college in Tajpur Mudiari, Ballia district, after an inspection found a striking gap between how many students the school claimed to have and how many actually appeared on official records, alongside no functioning kitchen, ration, or cook anywhere on the premises.
How the Case Came to Light
The matter surfaced after students at the school complained to District Magistrate Mangla Prasad on July 28, 2026, alleging irregularities in how the mid-day meal scheme was being run. Taking the complaint seriously, the DM formed a two-member inquiry committee comprising the District Development Officer and the District Basic Education Officer, tasked with inspecting school records, enrollment data, the U-DISE portal, mid-day meal registers, and IVRS-related data.
A Massive Gap in Student Numbers
The most glaring discrepancy centred on enrollment itself. School records reportedly showed 449 students across Classes 6 to 8. The U-DISE portal, India's official school data system, told a very different story: just 7 students in Class 6, 37 in Class 7, and 24 in Class 8, a total of only 68 students. A similar mismatch showed up in the previous academic session's data too, with U-DISE recording 37, 24, and 9 students respectively across the three classes for 2025-26.
Meals for Students Who Apparently Didn't Exist
Despite the actual enrollment sitting well under 70 students, the school's mid-day meal register for April 2026 showed meals being served to an average of 271 to 275 students every single day. May's records showed a nearly identical pattern, between 272 and 275 students daily. A comparable inconsistency turned up in the August records too: no student attendance had been logged in the register through August 5, yet IVRS data separately showed 199 students marked present on August 1, 3, and 4, a discrepancy the inquiry team also flagged as suspicious.
No Classes, No Kitchen, No Cook
The inspection uncovered something even more fundamental than a records mismatch: Classes 6, 7, and 8 weren't actually functioning at the school at all, and the principal couldn't produce any official order explaining why. On the ground, investigators reportedly found no gas cylinder, no ration, no utensils or plates, and no cook, with the kitchen shed itself found non-functional. In other words, the basic infrastructure needed to prepare and serve meals to even a handful of students, let alone the 270-plus recorded daily, simply wasn't there.
₹13.71 Lakh Paid Out Over Two Years
The inquiry also examined the money that had actually flowed to the school under the scheme. A total of ₹13,71,573 was reportedly paid over two financial years, ₹7,30,904 during 2024-25 and ₹6,40,669 during 2025-26, funds released against records that the inspection now indicates may not have reflected reality on the ground.
Action Taken So Far
Based on the inquiry findings, the District Magistrate directed the District Basic Education Officer to initiate departmental action against those responsible and to recover any government funds allegedly spent irregularly. An FIR has since been registered at Manier police station against college principal Chandrashekhar Pandey and mid-day meal district coordinator Ajit Pathak, filed on the complaint of Manier's acting Block Education Officer, Anup Kumar Tripathi, on charges related to cheating and misuse of government funds.
What Police Are Investigating Now
With the FIR registered, police have begun scrutinising the school's mid-day meal registers, U-DISE records, IVRS data, payment documents, and related bank transactions. A key focus of this ongoing financial investigation is tracing exactly how a discrepancy this large between actual enrollment and recorded meal-service numbers went unnoticed, and at what level these records were meant to be verified before government funds were actually released. Investigators are also working to determine who prepared and approved the disputed records, and whether additional individuals beyond those already named may have been involved.
FAQs
Q1. What is the total alleged irregularity in this case?
₹13,71,573 was reportedly paid to the school over two financial years under the mid-day meal scheme, against records now under investigation for discrepancies.
Q2. What was the gap between claimed and actual student enrollment?
School records showed 449 students in Classes 6-8, while the official U-DISE portal listed only 68 students total across those classes.
Q3. What did inspectors find when they visited the school?
Classes 6-8 weren't functioning, and there was no ration, gas cylinder, utensils, cook, or working kitchen, despite meal records showing 270+ students being served daily.
Q4. Who has been named in the FIR?
College principal Chandrashekhar Pandey and mid-day meal district coordinator Ajit Pathak, charged with cheating and misuse of government funds.