Sarvajan Hitay Sarvajan Sukhay-For The Gaun of The Many and For The Welfare of The Many
Government sensitive towards the quality of mid-day-meal scheme
Lucknow : October 24, 2007 The U.P. Chief Minister Km. Mayawati has requested the Union Government to change the system of serving meals under the mid-day-heal scheme of the Central Government as the meals at present were being prepared with the use of sub-standard quality of food grains and oils etc. Such meals when served adversely affected the health of the children, she added. She hoped that the Union Government would seriously consider the request of the State Government with immediate effect. Km. Mayawati disclosing the suggestions made by the State Government in press conference held at the 5-Kalidas Marg, said that after making a review of the mid-day-meal scheme, she found that the shape of the scheme was defective and it was essential to bring out a change in the system of the scheme. In a letter addressed and sent to the Prime Minister of India, the Chief Minister has said that in the implementation of the mid-day-meal scheme, the cases of the use of sub-standard food grains and oils have come to light causing sickness to the children and adversely affecting their health. On enquiry, it was revealed that such incidents occurred due to implementing system of the scheme. The Chief Minister said that she has suggested that pre-cooked and frozen food should be served to the children who could be served after heating or permission should be granted for serving fruits etc. In the present system, the food grain was supplied by Food Corporation of India, an agency of the Government of India, while oil was being purchased of local level. Km. Mayawati said that she has also requested in the letter that since the poor quality of oil was causing problems in the mid-day-meal scheme, therefore the Central agencies should also supply packaged quality edible oil instead of its local purchase, so that the children could be provided quality and nutritive food. She said that if Supreme Courtβs permission was required in it, then, it should be done at the earliest. The C.M. said that until the Central Government did not accept these suggestions, the State Government has taken some important measures in the interest of the children. She said that the C.D.O. and the BSA have been made responsible for the successful implementation of this scheme at the district level. The purchase of loose oil and ghee has been banned and the State Government has directed the officers to initiate strict action against the culprits. Km. Mayawati said that all the officers of the districts have been directed to inspect mid-day-meal twice in a week. Besides, directives have been issued to form parentsβ- teachersβ association to check the quality of the food. The C.M. expressed the hope that the Centre would take the suggestions of the State Government seriously. This would ensure quality nutritive food for a large number of children. ******
C.M. directs district administration for proper medical treatment of ill children
Lucknow : October 24, 2007 Taking stern action on the incident occurred in Moradabad district under Mid-Day-Meal scheme, in which 150 children became ill, the Uttar Pradesh Chief Minister, Km. Mayawati has directed suspension of district BSA, Assistant BSA and SDI with immediate effect, besides the immediate arrest of concerning Gram Pradhan Mrs. Neeta Rani, wife of Mr. Babu Ram. The Chief Minister has given strong directives for ensuring quality in Mid-Day-Meal scheme at a press conference held here today at her official residence. She said that stern action would be taken against the guilty persons on the complaints received regarding the adulteration and poor quality in this scheme. The Chief Minister has warned to all the officers affiliated with Mid-Day-Meal scheme that strict action would be taken against them, if the complaints were found. It may be recalled, that the concerning Gram Pradhan had made curd available to the children from his own home for Mid-Day-Meal. On getting the news about the illness of the children, the district magistrate, SP (Rural Area) and Chief Medical Officer rushed to the spot and enquired about the health of the children, besides making proper arrangements for their treatment. The seriously ill 35 children have been admitted in district hospital and two medical teams were requisitioned for their treatment. The CMO and other doctors are keeping a check on childrenβs health. All children are safe and they are out of danger. According to the reports 150 children became ill after eating Kadhi, rice and curd in a school at Shah Alampur and Chaudharpur block of district Moradabad. Giving information about the incident, district magistrate Moradabad, Mr. Amit Kumar Ghosh said that the Principal of the school Mr. Naubat Singh had been suspended with immediate effect for slackness and carelessness. Action was being taken against the Siksha Mitra, besides making the enquiries about the incident. He said that directives regarding tasting of the meal before its distribution were not being followed and a teacher Mr. Rajveer Singh also became ill after taking the meal, who had also been admitted to the hospital. All the officers of district administration rushed to the spot immediately, D.M. said adding that arrangements had been made for ambulance and medicines. Poor quality food articles were provided to the children according to the first hand information, he added. ******
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Life term for Amarmani Samajwadi Party MLA, wife in Madhumita murder case
Staff Correspondent
DEHRA DUN: A special court here on Wednesday sentenced the former Uttar Pradesh Minister and now MLA, Amarmani Tripathi, and his wife Madhumani to life imprisonment in the Madhumita Shukla murder case.
The pregnant poetess was murdered in her flat in the Paper Mill Colony in Lucknow on May 9, 2003.
Madhumita was having an affair with Amarmani and his wife objected to it.
District and Sessions Judge V.B. Rai awarded one-year additional imprisonment to the Samajwadi Party MLA for the wrongful confinement of and threats to Anuj Mishra, who was forced to claim, in the aftermath of the murder, that he was married to Madhumita.
Amarmaniβs cousin Rohit Chaturvedi and contract killer Santosh Rai were also sentenced to life.
Fifth accused acquitted
But the court acquitted the fifth accused Prakash Pandey for want of evidence.
Reading out the 400-page judgment in the jam-packed courtroom, the judge imposed a fine of Rs. 50,000 on each of the convicts.
CBI stand
Amarmani refused to comment on the verdict, but his counsel said he would challenge the order in the High Court.
Central Bureau of Investigation counsel said the agency would consider appealing against the acquittal of Pandey after going through the judgment.
Dawood aide shot dead in encounter
Special Correspondent
LUCKNOW: A joint team of the Special Task Force of the Uttar Pradesh police and Lucknow district police on Wednesday gunned down an alleged henchman of international mafia don Dawood Ibrahim, Noor Baksh alias βNooraβ, while he made an attempt to escape.
Noora, who had been lodged in the Lucknow District Jail, was being taken to court when four motorcycle-borne accomplices attacked the police escort vehicles on the Jail Road.
Noora attempted to escape and in an ensuing encounter with the police he was killed, according to a Home Department spokesman. The others escaped. Noora was a Pakistani national and hailed from Baluchistan province. The Home Department described him as a sharpshooter of the Dawood Ibrahim gang. Noora had seven criminal cases pending against him.
Noora was arrested by the STF on October 5, 2000 and was alleged to have been the mastermind behind the attack on mafia don Chhota Rajan in Bangkok. Noora, however, escaped from police custody on May 15, 2001 near Naini in Allahabad, where he was being taken for trial. He was re-arrested on May 19, 2001 in a fake passport case. He again escaped on October 18, 2005 from a running train in Madhya Pradesh while being brought from Bangalore. Noora was re-arrested on November 24, 2005 and was lodged in the Lucknow jail.
Dawood aide Noora gunned down
Special Correspondent
| He made a βbid to escape from police custodyβ |
His accomplices allegedly attacked the police
He had escaped from custody twice earlier
Top police officers at the site where Noora was gunned down on Wednesday
LUCKNOW: A joint team of the Special Task Force of Uttar Pradesh Police and Lucknow district police on Wednesday gunned down an alleged henchman of international mafia don Dawood Ibrahim, Noor Baksh alias βNooraβ, purportedly while he was trying to escape.
The hardcore criminal, who was lodged in Lucknow District Jail, was being taken to court for a hearing in the afternoon when four motorcycle-borne accomplices allegedly attacked the police escort vehicles on Jail Road.
Noora, who was being escorted in a police jeep, made an attempt to escape but was killed in the encounter with the police, it was stated. The others escaped.
A State Home Department spokesman said Noora was a Pakistani national belonging to Baluchistan province of the neighbouring country. He described the deceased as a sharpshooter of the Dawood Ibrahim gang.
Son of a retired bus driver, Noora had seven criminal cases pending against him.
He was arrested by the STF on October 5, 2000, and was allegedly the mastermind behind the attack on mafia don Chhota Rajan in Bangkok. Noora escaped from police custody on May 15, 2001, near Naini in Allahabad where he was being taken for trial. He was re-arrested on May 19, 2001, in a fake passport case but managed to escape again on October 18, 2005, from a running train in Madhya Pradesh while being brought from Bangalore. He was re-arrested on November 24, 2005, and lodged in Lucknow Jail.
The Home Department said Noora was involved in anti-national activities in Kolkata.
His brothers were also allegedly involved in the fake passport business and he had made several trips abroad on a fake passport.
Mid-day meal scheme defective: Mayawati
Special Correspondent
| The U.P. Chief Minister writes to the Prime Minister |
Children have fallen ill after taking the meal
Government bans procurement of loose edible oil
LUCKNOW: Attributing the cases of school children falling ill after eating food served under the Mid-day meal scheme to defects in the programme, Chief Minister Mayawati on Wednesday urged Prime Minister Manmohan Singh to bring about a qualitative change in the scheme.
Ms. Mayawati said the current system of serving meals was defective as sub-standard food grains cooked in poor quality edible oil were being served to the children.
Cases of children falling ill after consuming the food served under the Central Government scheme have been reported recently from Uttar Pradesh, particularly Amethi in Sultanpur district and Unnao.
In a letter to the Prime Minister, the Chief Minister has suggested that pre-cooked and frozen food be served to the beneficiaries which can be eaten after heating.
She also suggested that permission be granted by the Union Government for serving fruits to the children.
The Chief Minister said while food grain was supplied by the Food Corporation of India, edible oil was bought from local dealers. Stating that the poor quality of the cooking medium was at the root of the problem, she said packaged edible oil should be supplied by the Central agencies.
She said in her letter that if Supreme Court permission is required then it should be done at the earliest.
Even as the Chief Minister wrote to the Prime Minister and waited for the Union Governmentβs response, she banned procurement of loose edible oil and ghee from the market.