Feeding Children Not Important? AAP Government Fined Rs 2 Lakh For Not Taking Mid-Day Meals Seriously

A three-judge Supreme Court bench of Justices MB Lokur, Deepak Gupta and Hemant Gupta has imposed a one lakh fine each on five states (Andhra Pradesh, Odisha, Arunachal Pradesh, Meghalaya and Jammu and Kashmir) and a two lakh fine on Delhi government, for ‘not taking the mid-day meal scheme seriously’, Live Law has reported.

The matter stems from a public interest litigation (PIL), filed by a non-governmental organisation (NGO) ‘Antarrashtriya Manav Adhikaar Nigraani Parishad’ in 2013, for the proper implementation and monitoring of the mid-day meal scheme.

The Supreme Court had directed all state governments and Union territories to upload information relating to the implementation of the mid-day meal scheme online, include the number of beneficiaries.

However, some states had been unresponsive to the Apex court’s directions. The states of Andhra Pradesh, Arunachal Pradesh, Meghalaya and Odisha had given assurances on 26 October that they would soon add links to data on the mid-day meal scheme, but they had all failed to act. The state of Jammu & Kashmir had provided a non-working link. All five states were fined Rs 1 lakh rupees each.

The court noted claims that many children were not receiving the benefits of the mid-day meal scheme as food grains kept on disappearing. Coming down heavily on the Delhi government, the court observed that the last hearing was unattended by any representative of the Delhi government and that it had failed to furnish any information in the present hearing as well.

For the NCT of Delhi, the court stated, “We, therefore, impose costs of Rs 2,00,000 (Rupees Two lacs only) to be deposited with the Supreme Court Legal Services Committee within four weeks from today for juvenile Justice issues.”