India Legal News: Midday Meal to Be Brought Under Food Bill

As per India legal news, the Human Resource Development Ministry is keen to make the Midday Meal (MDM) Scheme a part of the proposed National Food Security Bill. The National Advisory Council (NAC), headed by Sonia Gandhi has been trying to bring all nutrition schemes under and overall food grain supply situation across India under its purview.

India Legal News: Estimated Cost is Rs.3500 Crores

India legal news reports indicate that a more elaborated plan with provisions of inclusions of Midday Meal Scheme and Integrated Child Development Scheme (ICDS) has been proposed in the NAC meeting.

Further, the NAC has asked the HRD ministry to estimate the cost of extending MDM till class X. The Ministry has responded that over Rs.3, 500 will be required per year. The estimation is based on a present cost of Rs.4.03 per child (Rs.3.02 by the Centre and Rs 1.01 by states) and the food grain cost that has been calculated according to present below poverty line rate.

Also, the Ministry said that at present more than 11.35 crore children are benefiting from the Midday Meal Scheme. The goal is to add another two crore children to it.

According to the NAC officials, several members want to see the flagship scheme into an extended entitlement under the proposed National Food Security Act (NFSA). Also, making MDM a part of the proposed law will boost the scheme.

Recent updates of India legal news reports on the NAC meeting on July 14, 2010 shows that it has been decided to extend the benefits of the Mid-Day Meal scheme and the Integrated Child Development Scheme to legal entitlements. The provisions of the Mid-Day Meal and Integrated Child Development Scheme will also be extended to include unprivileged, elderly people, disabled, ailing patients, single women and those who are homeless.