Children in Chuha Pahar in Jharkhand's Rajmahal Hills eat rats, rabbits, and birds instead of midday meals, reported NDTV. The channel found that even though the central and state government's funds are allocated for midday meals in two schools in the area, there are no teachers in these schools, and no midday meals are cooked there.
Instead, the children hunt rabbits, squirrels, wild boar, rats, and other animals. It is unclear where the funds allocated for their meals actually go. The schools are locked up as there are no teachers, the report found.
When asked about the situation, Food and Supply Minister Saryu Rai passed the responsibility to the local village leaders, claiming that his government had made payments for the midday meals regularly, and it was "not his department". Interestingly, Rai, a senior leader of the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP), is known for his crusade against corruption. He is known to have exposed the fodder scam in Bihar and iron ore mines allotment scam in Jharkhand.
Watch NDTV's special report below: