Kendrapara: Education officials are investigating ghost enrolment in government-run primary schools in Rajnagar tehsil of the district.

The ongoing measles-rubella vaccine immunisation programme launched in the district by health department has unmasked the ghost enrolment of around 2,000 students in schools.

A senior official of public health wing said 49,178 students were targeted to be covered by the vaccination drive in Rajnagar tehsil. While 47,044 children have so far been administered the vaccines, 2,134 schoolchildren have so far not turned up for the vaccine.

"We tried to locate them with a door-to-door survey. But the missing children could not be found at the addresses given in the school register. This has led us to believe that the practice of ghost enrolment of students is in vogue in several schools at least in the Rajnagar tehsil," the official said.

These missing children were being covered the midday meal programme and ration was being procured for their meals. The school and mass education department had also issued free school uniforms against their names.

Though names of around 50,000 students were in the enrolment register, all the children could not be traced in reality. Consequently, the education officials have deduced that these children did not exist in reality.

The official said the midday meal ration allocated against the fake students was gobbled up the authorities concerned. The beneficiaries of enrolment scam were mostly officials from the district social welfare department and schools and mass education department. Midday meal suppliers too had a share in the spoils.

Block education officer Ananta Kumar Behera said the alleged fake enrolment is being investigated. He said: "A departmental inquiry committee has been formed and disciplinary action would be initiated against those directly or indirectly involved in the ghost enrolment."