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Mid-day meal scheme defective: Mayawati

LUCKNOW: Attributing the cases of school children falling ill after eating food served under the Mid-day meal scheme to defects in the programme, Chief Minister Mayawati on Wednesday urged Prime Minister Manmohan Singh to bring about a qualitative change in the scheme.

Ms. Mayawati said the current system of serving meals was defective as sub-standard food grains cooked in poor quality edible oil were being served to the children.

Cases of children falling ill after consuming the food served under the Central Government scheme have been reported recently from Uttar Pradesh, particularly Amethi in Sultanpur district and Unnao.

In a letter to the Prime Minister, the Chief Minister has suggested that pre-cooked and frozen food be served to the beneficiaries which can be eaten after heating.

She also suggested that permission be granted by the Union Government for serving fruits to the children.

The Chief Minister said while food grain was supplied by the Food Corporation of India, edible oil was bought from local dealers. Stating that the poor quality of the cooking medium was at the root of the problem, she said packaged edible oil should be supplied by the Central agencies.

She said in her letter that if Supreme Court permission is required then it should be done at the earliest.

Even as the Chief Minister wrote to the Prime Minister and waited for the Union Government’s response, she banned procurement of loose edible oil and ghee from the market.

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