The Hindu : Sonia writes to PM

Online edition of India's National Newspaper
Saturday, Jun 14, 2003

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National

Sonia writes to PM

By Our Special Correspondent

NEW DELHI JUNE 13. The Leader of the Opposition, Sonia Gandhi, has written to the Prime Minister, Atal Behari Vajpayee, demanding that foodgrains available with the Government be used in an expanded manner to cover children at the upper primary level.

In a follow-up to an earlier letter, Ms. Gandhi has said that the mid-day meal scheme (MDMS) be continued during the vacation period so that children continue to receive nutritional cover. ``During the vacations the States could extend the scheme in the form of daily rations to the families of children through the PDS network or panchayats,'' she said.

Referring to the letter she had written to him on May 21, Ms. Gandhi said that she had requested for a doubling of the State allocations under Gramin Rozgar Yojna for the months of May, June and July.

In the context of her demand for the extension of the scheme to the upper primary level, the Congress chief said the highest level of dropouts at this level were from the SC/ST families. ``The MDMS will provide an excellent incentive to them for continuing their education.''

Making a pitch for the programme to be covered during the summer vacation, Ms. Gandhi said that it was important that the children received nutritional cover that would be otherwise almost certainly terminated, because of the prevailing drought conditions.

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