Congress interim president Sonia Gandhi on Wednesday urged the Union government to restart the mid-day meal scheme in government schools, noting that the COVID-19 pandemic has affected children the most.
“Schools were the first institutions to be closed and the last to be reopened. With the closure of schools during COVID pandemic, the system of mid-day meals was also stopped,” Sonia Gandhi said during the Question Hour in the Lok Sabha.
She went on to say: “People were given ration under National Food Security Act and as per a Supreme Court order. But there was no alternate for dry ration and cooked meals for children. True that families of children had to face a major crisis to earn a living. Such a crisis was never faced before… As children are returning to schools, they need even better nutrition.”
“I request the government to strengthen its Integrated Child Development Services and re-start the mid-day meal scheme.”
The mid-day meal scheme, renamed to PM-Poshan last year, provides one hot cooked meal to students in government and government-aided schools. It is a centrally-sponsored scheme that benefits students from classes 1 to 8.
