Stealing food of poor children

It is criminal that food kept for feeding poor students is being looted in Delhi. This is a swindle perpetuated with the involvement of Non-Governmental Organisations. These NGOs, which should have prepared and distributed food in schools honestly and diligently and in true public spirit, have found an opportunity in charity work to mint money. It could not be worse. It is almost unbelievable that they are feeding two students with the food meant for one. As horrendous, good quality grain is being replaced by poor quality grain and the difference in the price is being swallowed. Such large­-scale corruption makes a travesty of the mid-day meal scheme. This is a wonderful scheme thought up to alleviate the hunger of working class children who fully deserve a place in the sun as much as that of the childern of

netas who prosper at their expense. The scheme is also meant to encourage these children to attend school so that they can become citizens in the full meaning of the word. The scheme is being implemented with great diligence in some states in India. It is, however, most shocking that in Delhi, which is the capital of India, such a huge scam has taken place. To steal from children, especially those not well-off, is a crime of huge proportionand a despicable act.

It is a fact that the mid-day meal schemes are funded in parts by governments at the central and state level, both at present under the control of the Congress party. It was, therefore, incumbent upon government to monitor the spending of the funds disbursed under this head. This is what has been done in states where the scheme is successful, such as Gujarat. In Delhi, however, the government at all levels, with a considerable say in the scheme, has been horrifyingly lackadaisical in its approach. This casualness is not innocent. As the Millennium Post investigation has found, the scam has taken place with the connivance of officials, school principals and politicians. Heads must roll for this villainy.