Congress failed to implement mid day meal scheme :Malhotra

New Delhi, Oct 26 (UNI) Senior BJP leader and party's Chief Ministerial candidate for Delhi, Vijay Kumar Malhotra today expressed his concern over the extreme negligence of Shiela Dikshit government for non-implementation of the mid-day meal scheme.

While several other states in the country including Haryana, Punjab, Bihar and Rajasthan, have already implemented the UNESCO scheme in their schools, around five lakh students enrolled in primary and upper primary classes in Delhi are still deprived of it, Mr Malhotra noted.

''The Congress government, under Ms Shiela Dikshit, has no time to clear the file relating to implementation of the distribution of cooked mid-day meal to primary and upper primary classes in Delhi schools,'' the BJP leader charged.

In this context, he said after approval by the Congress government, several non-government organisations were invited for supplying cooked mid-day meal.

A high-level team was also formed which recommended around 15 NGOs for the job, he added.

''The related file has been lying in the CM's office unattended and the deadline for implementation of the scheme was July 1, 2008. If delayed further, authorities would have to return the funds to the UNESCO,'' Mr Malhotra warned.

As per the scheme, the mid-day meal should contain a minimum content of 700 calories and 20 gm of proteins for which a payment @ Rs 3.00 per child per school day shall be admissible, he informed.

Besides, wheat/rice @ 150 gm per student per school day would also be provided as a subsidy, he added.

UNI AR RJ AKJ HT1725