Govt restrained on mid-day meal scheme

The Supreme Court on Thursday restrained the central government from handing over the mid-day meal scheme to the state governments, after examining the dismal report of the court commission about the mismanagement of funds allocated for the centrally-sponsored welfare schemes.

The report stated that despite the court order two years ago, there was hardly any implementation of the schemes in many states. Starvation deaths continued, while the grain stocks mounted and rotted.

The People's Union for Civil Liberties, while resuming arguments in its petition, submitted before an apex court Bench headed by Justice YK Sabharwal that the Centre was thinking of handing over the administration of the mid-day meal scheme to the states. This would sound the death-knell of the scheme, it said.

The Bench said "till further orders, the Union government shall not transfer the mid-day meal scheme to the state governments." However, the Bench clarified that its order would not stop the flow of funds from the Centre and the implementation of the scheme by the states.

Acting on the reports of deaths of 23 children belonging to the Sahariya tribe in Rajasthan, the court called for a report from the state government.

Since several states have not reported to the court on the implementation of its orders on distribution of food, it named Uttar Pradesh, Bihar, West Bengal, Jharkhand, Assam, Rajasthan, Madhya Pradesh, Manipur and Delhi and asked them to file their reports before the next hearing in October.

The report of the court commission revealed the state governments' negligent attitude towards the poverty alleviation schemes.

In Maharashtra, the government asked contribution from the parents though it had not used 78 per cent of the allocated funds. The Jharkhand government did not use a single paisa of Rs 37.3 crore, "because financial sanctions could not be issued in time".

The districts in Bihar were able to spend only Rs 6.32 crore out of a total allocation of Rs 41.32 crore because of the delay in issuing sanctions, the report said. Uttaranchal surrendered Rs 8.27 crore of the allocated funds.

On the alleged starvation deaths in the Baran district, the Rajasthan government had yesterday announced a package to give at least 100 days employment to one member from each Shariya family, to take 15,000 such families under the antyodaya anna yojana and provide 35 kilograms of rice at rs 2 per kg, and give economic support to 1200 sahariya families for housing.