Ananth Kumar, Union Minister for Chemicals and Fertilizer, expressed his displeasure over the irregularities in the implementation of the midday meal scheme in the country. He was speaking after distributing plates and glasses for 5,000 children studying in the government and aided schools, covered by the Adanya Chetana Programme run by the Smt. Girija Shastri Memorial Trust, for the midday meal scheme in Gulbargaon Sunday.
He said the midday meal scheme had failed to benefit even 50 percent of the total 12 crore students enrolled in government schools in India. He added thatthe scheme had even failed to provide midday meals regularly to 1.15 crore children in schools in the State.
Lack of monitoring and huge corruption and misuse of funds has been destroying the scheme, he added.
He called upon the students to adopt the ideologies of 12th century revolutionary Basaveshwara and promote them in the society. The Minister also added that the non-government organisations and leaders should come forward to take up such noble cause to encourage attendance and reduce the dropouts in schools.
(The Hindu)