The High Court of Karnataka on Tuesday directed the State government to take a decision by April 8 on whether it would reintroduce cooked midday meals to eligible students of classes VI to X from April 15.
A Division Bench comprising Justice B.V. Nagarathna and Justice J.M. Khazi issued the direction while observing that prima facie it was of the view that providing food security allowance cannot be continued when schools are kept open.
The Bench issued the directions after it was pointed out on behalf of the government that for students of classes VI to X the government had decided to continue to provide food security allowance but did not make any statement on when hot cooked midday meals would be reintroduced.
The Bench was hearing a PIL petition filed by Radha M. and others seeking direction to supply cooked midday meals to students.
“Admittedly, schools have been kept open, if so, necessarily midmeal should have been provided,” the Bench observed while asking the government to submit before the court the proceedings of the decision to be taken on reintroduction of midday meals.
The government had also told the Bench that as far as anganwadis were concerned, supplementary nutrition programme was supplying to the doorstep of beneficiaries and also take home ration was being provided instead of hot cooked food.
As the government said that supplying hot cooked midday meals on school campus would lead to spread of COVID-19, the Bench orally said that the government appears to have not taken opinions of the Technical Advisory Committee, the Health and Family Welfare Department and other experts on reintroduction of cooked meal.
The government had to consult experts before taking a decision on supply of cooked meal in schools, the Bench observed orally while pointing out that more students would start attending classes when cooked meal was supplied instead of paying allowance.
