JOIN USDecide on starting midday meals from April 15, HC tells Karnataka govt
The High Court of Karnataka on Tuesday directed the state government to take a decision on restoring midday meals from April 15 so long as the schools from classes 6-10 are kept open.
A division bench headed by Justice B V Nagarathna passed this order after the state government submitted that midday meals may not be restored in view of the second wave of Covid-19.
The petition was filed by one Radha M seeking directions to the state government to restore midday meals to students attending the schools physically. In the previous hearing, the bench had asked the government to take instructions as to whether midday meals will be provided to the children for Class 6-10.
The Department of Education (Primary and Secondary) submitted a status report on Tuesday. It said that in view of the second wave of Covid-19, it had been decided to continue providing the food security allowance in the form of food grains.
The affidavit also added that cooking hot meals and serving the midday day meals on the school premises may lead to more infections. The report also said that an action plan had been placed before the government seeking financial assistance to provide food security allowance for 47 days, from April 10 to June 10.
After going through the report, the bench observed that providing food security allowance cannot be continued when schools are open.
“State government has to take a decision to reintroduce midday meals from April 15, 2021, so long as schools from Class 6 to 10 are kept open and students are attending the classes physically. State has to make a decision and the same shall be placed before the court on or before April 8,” the court said.
As regards providing meals at Anganwadi centres, the government stated that the decision will be taken based on the advice of the technical advisory committee of the Health and Family Welfare department.
The report said that in order to maintain social distance only five children were allowed to attend Anganwadi centres in rotation, based on the total number of children enrolled. Supplementary nutrition programme food was being supplied at the doorsteps of Anganwadi beneficiaries, the report added.