Probe ordered after goats seen eating midday meals with children at an Anganwadi in Madhya Pradesh

BHOPAL: A probe has been ordered and preliminary action initiated after videos went viral showing goats eating midday meals from steel plates alongside children, allegedly outside an Anganwadi centre in Madhya Pradesh’s Katni district.Multiple viral clips show children seated in two parallel queues with food served on steel plates, while two goats are seen eating from plates kept at the end of one queue.Officials said the incident pertains to an Anganwadi facility operating from a rented private building in Sehra Mohalla of Kothi village, located in the tribal-dominated Dhimarkheda block. The arrangement was made due to the absence of an adequate government building for the Anganwadi or school, they added.Katni District Collector Ashish Tiwari said a team of officials was dispatched to the village immediately after the videos surfaced. “The Anganwadi centre has been functioning from a private rented building since last year, while construction of a permanent facility is underway at another location,” he told this newspaper on Sunday.According to Tiwari, the preliminary probe found that the Anganwadi supervisor, assistant and worker were not present when the midday meal was being served. “Based on the initial findings, the salary increment of the Anganwadi supervisor has been withheld, and show-cause notices have been issued to the assistant and the Anganwadi worker,” he said.The incident has drawn attention coming barely a month after a separate video from Sheopur district sparked national outrage. In that case, children at a government primary school in Hullpur village of Vijaypur block were seen being served midday meals on scrap paper. The November incident reportedly led to the suspension of the school principal and termination of the contract of the self-help group responsible for preparing the meals.The Sheopur episode had also prompted sharp political reactions, with Leader of the Opposition in the Lok Sabha Rahul Gandhi questioning the BJP-led central and state governments over the issue.Residents of Kothi village said the Anganwadi centre has been operating from the private building since January 15. “No supervisor or worker ever comes here. Since 2024, children have been coming only to study and have midday meals. Around 60 to 65 children are beneficiaries of this centre,” a villager said.



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