PAV Condemns Garikapati’s Remarks on Mid-Day Meal

Nellore: The Public Health Forum (Praja Arogya Vedika) has strongly condemned recent remarks by noted spiritual speaker Garikapati Narasimha Rao, criticising the mid-day meal scheme in Andhra Pradesh as unnecessary and financially burdensome.

In a statement on Saturday, PAV emphasised that the scheme has played a crucial role in addressing long-standing issues of poverty that once forced many children to drop out of school and take up menial jobs. The mid-day meal programme, it noted, has significantly improved school attendance, reduced dropout rates, and tackled malnutrition among children. Highlighting that education is a fundamental right, PAV said ensuring access to schooling for every child is a core responsibility of a welfare state. “No child should be deprived of education due to poverty,” the forum asserted.

Citing multiple studies, PAV pointed out that the assurance of at least one nutritious meal a day encourages children to attend school regularly. It warned that without such support, many children may be pushed into child labour. Defending the scheme as both socially and economically beneficial, PAV urged the government to further strengthen it by allocating increased funds and improving nutritional standards. The forum also called for responsible public discourse, stating that criticism of such a vital welfare initiative should be made with a clear understanding of its societal impact.