Does the government need organizations like Akshaya Patra for the mid-day meal scheme?

In Karnataka, about 10 percent of the 40 lakh beneficiary children of the Mid-Day Meal Scheme provide food to an organization called Akshaya Patra Foundation. Recently there have been allegations of rigging in this institution. Also, this organization is against linking nutritious food like eggs with this scheme.Under the Government of India mid-day meal i.e. mid-day meal scheme, children studying in government schools get hot food once in a day. The central government spends an amount of Rs 4.5-7 per day on wheat and rice per child.

In many states, the state government pours its money and provides nutritious food (such as eggs, soybeans etc.). Under this scheme, 25 lakh women are getting employment as cooking and helper. Mid-day meal scheme reaches 10-12 crore children in the country, and is one of the most successful schemes.This does not mean that there is no scope for improvement. From time to time, news comes in that children are served by dissolving milk or lentils in water. There are also complaints of corruption.

One problem is that at some places the state government has given the responsibility of cooking to private institutions.For example, in Karnataka, about 40 lakh children are beneficiaries of the Mid-Day Meal Scheme, of which less than 10 per cent do not get fresh food from the kitchen of a government school, but from an institution called Akshaya Patra Foundation (APF).Many know this institution, because it is associated with ISKCON temple and many people have eaten food in these temples sometimes.For the Mid-day meal scheme, Akshay Patra gets both food grains and money like government schools. But the concept of people is that Akshaya-Patra feeds children. The secret to maintaining this image is probably the expenditure incurred by him on advertising. If you look for 'mid-day meal' on the Internet, many links are about this organization, which can give an idea of ​​how much it spends on advertising.The state government does not need a renewable container. 90 percent of the children are getting food cooked in the kitchen of Sakari school. Perhaps Akshay Patra needs a mid-day meal plan. On the basis of this work, he receives a large amount of private donations. The donation money is probably added to the amount received from the government. A few years ago, some questions were raised on the Akshaya-eligible institution in the CAG report. At that time nobody paid special attention and no action was taken. This institute is in the news again for a few days.

Some such questions have been raised in its personal audit, due to which the independent trustee of the institution has resigned. The questions are serious.There is an allegation that in half of the kitchen money and food grains have been rigged. The cost per child is very high - double the cost of government schools was being recorded here.

Kitchens were also used for ISKCON temples, but grain and money were not properly accounted for.It is coming to the conclusion from the allegations that the government grain and the money which was being given to the renewable vessels for children, was also used to run ISKCON temples. Instead of conducting an independent investigation, the trustees of the ISKCON temple, who are working in the Akshaya-eligible organization, were stopping it.The inclusion of organizations like Akshaya Patra in the government scheme hinders accountability. When an organization is getting government money, it is necessary to have both CAG and RTI logged on it.Apart from this, Akshaya Patra has been against the addition of nutritious food like eggs in the menu of Mid-Day Meal Scheme in Karnataka, due to which not only 10 percent of the schools where children are served by Akshaya Patra are affected. , But also its effect on 40 lakh children studying in state government schools.

According to his belief a few months ago, he expressed his intention not to give onion and garlic to the food.If the entire expenditure was being paid by the renewable person, then there would be no objection, but there is government money, then it should be done according to the government menu and public interest, and not according to our faith.The interesting thing is that no matter what government has been in Karnataka, do not ask them questions. Why so? The private trustees in the Akshaya Patra are rich people and the rest are the religious gurus of the ISKCON temple. Is it right to sacrifice the children of the country for religion and money?

(With input from news agency language)

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