The Kerala High Court on October 16, Monday, asked why headmasters of government-run schools had to bear the burden of the Mid-Day Meal Scheme if it was provided through a collaboration of the Union and state governments. The observation came in response to a plea filed by a leading organisation of teachers who approached the Court seeking its intervention in the matter.
The Mid-Day Meal Scheme is a programme to provide school lunch to students in government and government-aided schools. Later renamed the PM-POSHAN initiative, it is implemented by the Akshaya Patra Foundation, a nonprofit trust based in Bengaluru.
Notably, with the state government reeling under a massive cash crunch leading to around Rs 163 crore in pending arrears, numerous government school heads have been forced to bear the expense of the Mid-Day Meal Scheme. When the counsel for the state government informed that the funds from the Union government are not coming on time, the Court said "if that be the case, then remove the name of the Union government from the name of the programme and name it as the Chief Minister's scheme."
For a long time, lack of funds has been a major problem for the headmasters/ headmistresses of the state government schools as the onus would then be on them to shell out money for the free meals promised to the students. It finally led an organisation of teachers to approach the Court seeking its intervention.
The counsel for the state government has informed the Court that steps have now been taken to distribute Rs 81 crore shortly to the schools.
The case has been posted for further hearing on Wednesday.
(With IANS inputs)
