The Supreme Court on Friday directed the Centre to ensure adequate foodgrains are supplied to drought-affected States, which too were instructed to extend the mid day meal scheme to the children in these areas even during the summer vacation months of May-June.
The apex court also slammed the Centre for not giving compensation to workers and for delayed payment of work under MNREGA scheme in drought-like situation and said it “does not behove a welfare state” as “social justice has been thrown out of the window”.
The Centre has admitted before the apex court that the pending wage bill under MNREGA scheme till March 31, 2016 was around Rs 7,983 crore. However, later the Centre in its affidavit said in April that Rs 11,030 crore will be released to the States within one week
The apex court said that no household in a drought-affected area shall be denied foodgrains as required under NFS Act only because the household does not have a ration card.
It directed that Bihar, Haryana and UP must within a month make adequate provision for supply of eggs or milk or any other nutritional substitute for children under the mid-day meal scheme.