A bench comprising Justices Aniruddha Bose and Sanjay Kumar was told by Additional Solicitor General K.M. Nataraj that exclusion and inclusion of items from the menu of the mid-day meal scheme should be best left to the government, being a policy matter.
The UT administration had told the Supreme Court that omitting meat and chicken from the menu of mid-day meals, and inclusion of fruits and dry fruits is perfectly in tune with the objectives of the mid-day meal scheme.
“In Lakshadweep, meat and chicken are normally part of the regular menu in almost all families. On the other hand, consumption of fruits and dry fruits is very less among the islanders. Therefore, omitting meat and chicken from the menu of mid-day meals, and inclusion of fruits and dry fruits, is perfectly in tune with the objectives of the mid-day meal scheme,” it had told the top court through its written submissions.
It added that the nutritional requirements of children will be met by such modification, which is in keeping with the objectives of the mid-day meal guidelines.
A special leave petition was filed in the Supreme Court by a resident of Lakshadweep against a Kerala High Court judgment passed in September 2021, dismissing a plea challenging the decision of the Lakshadweep administration.
The PIL challenged the administration’s decision to shut down dairy farms along with the omission of meat from the menu of mid-day meals in schools on the Lakshadweep islands.
In an interim direction passed in May last year, the Supreme Court had directed the Lakshadweep administration to continue including non-vegetarian food items in the mid-day meals for school children.
The top court posted the plea for further consideration, including the hearing on the question of vacation of interim relief, for September 13.
–IANS
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