Calcutta HC seeks Bengal govt's affidavit on ISKCON midday meal proposal
Kolkata, July 8
A division bench of the Calcutta High Court on Wednesday directed the West Bengal government to submit an affidavit on the status of its proposal to entrust the responsibility of providing midday meals in state-run schools within the Kolkata Municipal Corporation area to the International Society for Krishna Consciousness.
A PIL filed in the matter came up for hearing before the division bench of the Calcutta High Court's Acting Chief Justice Tapabrata Chakraborty and Justice Partha Sarathi Chatterjee on Wednesday.
During the hearing, the division bench enquired about the present status of the proposal. In reply, the state's Advocate General, Surajit Nath Mitra, informed the court that it was still at the proposal stage and that no formal notification in the matter had been issued as of date.
Thereafter, the division bench directed the state government to file a detailed affidavit in the matter within the next four weeks.
The division bench also directed the petitioner to file a counter affidavit within two weeks after the state government files its affidavit in the matter.
At the same time, the division bench observed that the petition against the proposal appeared to be premature since the state government had not issued a formal notification in the matter till date. The bench also observed that the petitioner could move the court again after the state government issued a formal notification in the matter.
In the public interest litigation, it was argued that if ISKCON was entrusted with the responsibility of preparing midday meals in state-run schools in Kolkata, eggs would not be served and students would consequently be deprived of a protein-rich diet.
It was also argued in the petition that many women currently employed to cook midday meals would lose their jobs if ISKCON was entrusted with the responsibility of providing midday meals in state-run schools in West Bengal.
The announcement on entrusting ISKCON with the responsibility of providing midday meals was made by West Bengal Finance Minister Swapan Dagupta while presenting the Budget for the financial year 2025-26 on the floor of the West Bengal Assembly last month.
— IANS
Reader Comments
First BJP tries to impose uniform civil code, now this? In Bengal, we eat fish, eggs, and meat as part of our daily diet. Taking away eggs from midday meals is not just about nutrition—it's about respecting our regional food culture. Let ISKCON feed their temples, leave our schools alone. 🙏
I'm not against religious organizations doing social work, but mixing religion with government schemes is dangerous. What next? Will we have madrasas running midday meals only serving halal food? The Constitution guarantees secularism, and the state must maintain that. Good that the court is scrutinizing this. ⚖️
As someone who's seen ISKCON's food distribution work in other parts of India, I can vouch for their efficiency. They run one of the largest mid-day meal programs in the country already. Maybe the solution is a hybrid model—ISKCON cooks the meals, but eggs are still included for those who want them? Just a thought. 🙂
The real issue here is the women who will lose their jobs! Many local women depend on this employment to support their families. How will the government compensate them? ISKCON might be efficient, but we cannot ignore the livelihoods at stake. The court should also examine this aspect carefully. 😟
It's ironic that the Bengal government is pushing this while claiming to be secular. The proposal seems like a political move to appease certain vote banks. If they really cared about nutrition, they'd focus on improving the existing system rather than outsourcing it to a religious organization. Just my perspective from abroad. 🌏
We welcome thoughtful discussions from our readers. Please keep comments respectful and on-topic.