Chennai, Feb 7 (IANS): The district education department has suspended two teachers of a government lower primary school in Tamil Nadu's Vellore corporation's premises for delay in serving breakfast to children on time.

One of the suspended teachers is the headmistress of the school.

It is to be noted that under the Tamil Nadu Chief Ministers Breakfast Scheme, food has to be served between 8.15 a.m. and 8.45 a.m. As per the government order, the breakfast time can be extended to a maximum of five minutes but beyond that is a grave offence.

The delay in serving breakfast was found during a surprise inspection by Vellore district Collector V.R. Subbulaxmi at the school campus on Tuesday.

Vellore district education department officials told IANS that when the district collector reached the school at 9 a.m. for a surprise inspection, she found students wandering around in the campus.

The students reportedly said that they were waiting for teachers, including the headmistress, to come to the school to serve breakfast.

When the collector asked students whether the delay in serving breakfast to them happens regularly, the students said it was a regular norm to serve breakfast only after two teachers come to the school.

Collector, according to district education officials, immediately issued suspension orders to the school teachers.

Based on the collectors directive, Chief education officer (CEO), C. Manimozhi passed an order suspending two teachers of the primary school, including its headmistress.