Rajeev Chandrasekhar's official website - Member of Parliament

GOVERNMENT OF INDIA

Ministry of Human Resource Development Department or school Education & Literacy

RAJYASABHA
UNSTARRED QUESTION NO.3142
TO BE ANSWERED ON 23.04.2010
Discrimination in serving mid-day-meal

 

3142. SHRI RAJEEV CHANDRASEKHAR:
Will the Minister of HUMAN RESOURCE DEVELOPMENT be pleased to state:

(a)        whether it is a fact that children belonging to Scheduled Castes, Scheduled Tribes and other lower castes are being denied mid-day-meal in certain States, as reported in the media;

(b)        if so, Government's reaction in the matter;

(c)        the steps proposed to be taken to curb such discrimination;

(d)        the current percentage of coverage of Mid-Day-Meal Scheme in the country, State­wise; and

(e)        the target for 2010-11?

ANSWER
MINISTER OF STATE IN THE MINISTRY OF HUMAN RESOURCE DEVELOPMENT
(SMT. D. PURANDESWARI)

(a) & (b): No case where children belonging to Scheduled Castes. Scheduled Tribes and lower castes being denied mid day meal has come to the notice of the Government. However, certain cases of caste discrimination such as refusal to take food cooked by SC/ST cooks, segregation of SC/ST children while serving mid day meal and bringing of own utensils by upper caste children have come to the notice of the Government from time to time. After enquiry by the respective State Governments, these allegations were found to be baseless.

(c): The Mid Day Meal Scheme envisages that food is served to children and actual serving and eating is undertaken in a spirit of togetherness, under hygienic conditions and in an orderly manner.

(d) : State/UT wise percentage of coverage of Mid Day Meal Scheme in the country during 2009-10 is given in the Annexure.

(e): Under the Scheme around 11.19 crore children are expected to be benefitted during the year 20 I 0-11.

Annexure

Annexure referred to in reply to part (d) of Rajya Sabha Unstarred Question No. 3142 for 23.04.2010 by Shri. Rajeev Chandrasekhar regarding 'Discrimination in serving mid-day-meal'.

StateIUT wise coverage of Mid Day Meal Scheme in the country in the year 2009-10.

Sl.

States/UTs

Number of children

Average Number of

Percentage

No.

Approved by MDM-

children availed MDM

coverage

PAB for 2009-10

up to 31.12.2009.

1

Andhra Pradesh

6342088

6342088

100.00

2

 Arunachal Pradesh

181349

181349

100:00

3

Assam

3777900

4132618

109.39

4

Bihar

11109009

11241336

101.19

5

Chhattisgarh

3517727

3222073

91.60

6

Goa

163920

163208

99.57

7

Gujarat

4001502

3820509

95.48

8

Haryana

2136668

2039060

95.43

9

Himachal Pradesh

810234

741014

91.46

10

Jammu & Kashmir

1164988

1056126

90.66

II

Jharkhand

3913334

4031582

103.02

12

Karnataka

5699173

5502935

96.56

13

Kerala

3028641

2902204

95.83

14

Madhya Pradesh

9215200

9003584

97.70

15

Maharashtra

12227715

12187761

99.67

16

Manipur

281299

225718

78.57

17

Meghalava

503844

476527

94.58

18

Mizoram

155594

161508

103.80

19

Nagaland

223495

230036

102.93

20

Orissa

5687698

5525792

97.15

21

Punjab

1923323

1855841

96.49

22

Rajasthan

6446325

5982376

92.80

23

Sikkim

92683

512391

552.84

24

Tamil Nadu

5022030

4295468

85.53

25

Tripura

332930

468621

140.76

26

Uttarakhand

107l124

1044366

97.50

27

Uttar Pradesh

15352419

12713580

82.81

28

West Bengal

11370321

9268669

81.52

29

A&N islands

47207

36900

78.17

30

Chandigarh

74898

61311

81.86

31

D&N Haveli

33340

35261

105.76

32

Daman & Diu

19000

15227

80.14

33

Delhi

1638067

1318353

80.48

34

Lakshadweep

10798

10192

94.39

35

Puducherry

95600

91368

95.57

Total

117677443

110896952

Source: Minutes of PAB Meetings for approval of children and working days.

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