NEW DELHI, Dec 4:
The Supreme Court today slapped a fine on five States and Delhi, saying they were “not taking seriously” the matter related to implementation of the Mid-Day Meal Scheme (MDMS) in schools.
The Apex Court directed States of Andhra Pradesh, Odisha, Arunachal Pradesh, Meghalaya and Jammu and Kashmir to pay Rs one lakh each as costs for their failure to create an online link along with a chart meant for monitoring the implementation and hygiene of mid-day meal scheme in Government-run schools.
Besides this, a bench headed by Justice Madan B Lokur also slapped Rs two lakh as costs on Delhi for not providing the requisite information related to implementation of the scheme.
The bench, also comprising Justices Deepak Gupta and Hemant Gupta, directed that the costs be deposited with the Supreme Court Legal Services Committee within four weeks.
“The mid-day meal scheme, which is of considerable benefit to the children in the country, is not being taken seriously by several States. Data has not been supplied and there are allegations made by the petitioner about foodgrains disappearing and not reaching the schools and thereby denying the benefit of mid-day meal scheme to children,” the bench said.
“We have been trying to get the States to render assistance and to upload all the data so that necessary corrective steps can be taken from time to time. In spite of several of our orders, there has been little or no co-operation from some of the States,” it said.
The counsel appearing for Jammu and Kashmir said they have already created the online link but it was not working.
“We do not see the value of a link that does not work,” the court said and imposed Rs one lakh costs on Jammu and Kashmir.
The bench has posted the matter for further hearing after four weeks. (PTI)
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