The Madras High Court has granted a week’s time to the Tamil Nadu government to come up with an alternative plan in providing nutrition to schoolchildren who are missing noon meal due to the closure of schools owing to the COVID-19 lockdown.
Chennai:
A division bench comprising Justice MM Sundresh and Justice R Hemalatha, on recording the submission of government advocate that every effort is underway to provide nutrition hamper to students under the noon-meal scheme, posted the plea to July 27 for further hearing.
Madras High Court Advocates Association vice-president R Sudha had moved a PIL seeking to provide nutrition hamper to 48.57 lakh children enrolled in 43,243 noon meal centres and also to make boiled eggs a part of meals in Amma canteens. She had submitted that with as many as 407 canteens across the State and nearly 200 in and around Chennai, it is only axiomatic that the facility is used to not only serve hygienic food at nominal rates but also to improve the immunity of the public who depend on it for sustenance.