Caste bias in midday meal plan: Panel seeks proof
Akshaya Mukul
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New Delhi:
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The parliamentary committee on welfare of SCSTs has called secretary , school education, on April 8 for oral evidence to apprise itself on allegations of caste discrimination against Dalit children in distribution of midday meal in Bihar, UP and MP .The parliamentary panel led by BJP's Faggan Singh Kulaste has been demanding action from the ministry to stop caste discrimination. In January, the panel asked the HRD ministry to send its own team to verify discrimination in MP and Karnataka. It was also decided that the ministry will look into similar alleged cases against Dalit children in Bihar and UP.
However, the ministry's team which went to Bihar, MP , UP and Karnataka have reported that there is no case of caste discrimination against Dalit children. A member of the panel said, “We will look into ministry's report. Since ministry's team makes advance announcement of its visit, it is bound not to find anything. It is important that HRD's team should have made an unannounced visit.“ He said the panel is serious about ending discrimination.
In MP discrimination was reported from 12 districts while in Karnataka, there were reports of children bringing food from home since they did not want to eat midday meal which they feared gets touched by Dalit children.
However, the ministry's team which went to Bihar, MP , UP and Karnataka have reported that there is no case of caste discrimination against Dalit children. A member of the panel said, “We will look into ministry's report. Since ministry's team makes advance announcement of its visit, it is bound not to find anything. It is important that HRD's team should have made an unannounced visit.“ He said the panel is serious about ending discrimination.
In MP discrimination was reported from 12 districts while in Karnataka, there were reports of children bringing food from home since they did not want to eat midday meal which they feared gets touched by Dalit children.
