KOCHI: The High Court has asked why liabilities are being burdened on the head teachers for not getting the central allocation for the mid-day meal scheme in schools. The Rs 485 crore project can be implemented without central assistance since the state government is said to provide Rs 642 crore as budgetary allocation. Then why is the government creating a liability for its own employees? Justice TR Ravi said that the figures given by the government are not understandable.
The high court's criticisms were on the petitions filed by the Kerala Pradesh School Teachers' Association, demanding that the dues should be paid immediately to the head teachers who had spent money for the mid-day meal scheme and that the money for the scheme should be paid in advance. The court inquired about the possibility of the state government bearing the entire cost and making this a chief minister's scheme. The government says in the project order that the amount will be paid in advance. The case was adjourned six times to explain this, but no clear answer was given. The High Court opined that head teachers should not be troubled in the dispute between the central and state governments and adjourned the petition for hearing tomorrow, giving time to the government to give a definite reply in this regard. The government counsel requested that the central government be made a party to the petition, but the court refused. The single bench said that the petitioners have no dispute with the central government and they are not against the scheme.
Government's argument
Central allocation of Rs 200 crore has not been received
Petitioners' contention