Insta
Feeding Children Not Important? AAP Government Fined Rs 2 Lakh For Not Taking Mid-Day Meals Seriously
Swarajya Staff
Dec 05, 2018, 03:33 PM | Updated 03:28 PM IST
Save & read from anywhere!
Bookmark stories for easy access on any device or the Swarajya app.
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.”
Save & read from anywhere!
Bookmark stories for easy access on any device or the Swarajya app.
Introducing ElectionsHQ + 50 Ground Reports Project
The 2024 elections might seem easy to guess, but there are some important questions that shouldn't be missed.
Do freebies still sway voters? Do people prioritise infrastructure when voting? How will Punjab vote?
The answers to these questions provide great insights into where we, as a country, are headed in the years to come.
Swarajya is starting a project with an aim to do 50 solid ground stories and a smart commentary service on WhatsApp, a one-of-a-kind. We'd love your support during this election season.
Click below to contribute.