Kerala High Court says dropping meat from Lakshadweep mid-day meal menu is against physical health of children
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The courtroom ordered that the serving of meals, together with meat, hen, fish and egg, and different objects to the school-going children of Lakshadweep be continued till additional orders
A Division Bench of the Kerala High Court has noticed that prima facie switching over to a distinct menu, with the exclusion of hen and meat from the mid-day meal scheme of colleges in Lakshadweep, would run opposite to the National Programme of Mid Day Meal in colleges. This is particularly so when it is constituted with the avowed goal of guaranteeing the physical and psychological health of the children.
The Bench, led by Chief Justice M. Manikumar, made the observations in its order staying the selections of the Lakshadweep administration to shut down dairy farms and take away meat from the menu of the mid-day meal scheme.
The courtroom ordered that the serving of meals, together with meat, hen, fish and egg, and different objects to the school-going children of Lakshadweep be continued till additional orders.
The courtroom additionally identified that the minutes of conferences of the Union Territory-level steering monitoring committee and district activity pressure on noon meal scheme held on January 27 revealed that even a doctor who attended the assembly had opined that non-vegetarian meals, particularly fish, hen and egg, have been important for the expansion of children and that children want a wholesome balanced weight loss program containing meals from every group (veg and non-veg), in order that they get a variety of vitamins to assist them keep wholesome.
The courtroom stated that there was no motive as to why the opinion of the doctor was not taken observe of. But then, the committee appeared to have urged the exclusion of meat from the menu.
Dairy farms
The courtroom additionally ordered that the functioning of the dairy farms be continued till additional orders.
S. Manu, standing counsel of Lakshadweep, had submitted that there have been two dairy farms in Lakshadweep. Of 69 animals within the farms, 47 have been solely milking. With the manufacturing of a little or no amount of milk, upkeep of the 2 farms was not financially viable. The choice to shut down the farm was taken to keep away from income loss. The choice on the change within the menu of mid-day meal scheme was taken as a result of difficulties in procurement of sure objects in view of the COVID-19 pandemic.
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