Cong opposes scrapping of mid-day meal scheme

Patel said the scheme was being scrapped at a time when the Planning Commission had decided to introduce it in all states. "The government is playing with the future of the next generation. The scrapping the scheme which will also mean loss of job of about one lakh people employed under it," Patel said.

Demanding a dialogue between the government and leading public figures and public institutions before taking a final decision in this regard, Patel warned the government that if it went ahead with scrapping the scheme, Congress would have no alternative but to registering a strong protest.The scheme was launched in 1984 during the Congress regime when Madhavsinh Solanki was the Chief Minister.

Meanwhile, the PCC president and Leader of Opposition Amarsinh Chaudhary met Chief Minister Keshubhai Patel for release of a Vadodara-based Congress leader Shailesh Mehta detained under PASA since a week. They are said to have protested before the Chief Minister that the practice of detaining political workers belonging to opposition parties was not a healthy one.

Mehta was the official Congress candidate for Vadodara city in the recent Assembly election and was defeated. He has been detained as `dangerous person’ under PASA by the State government. Patel, however, did not deny that Mehta has a questionable past.

Gujarat Pradesh Youth Congress has decided to launch an agitation against rising prices of essential articles. GPYC president Himmatsinh Patel at a recent meeting at Himmatnagar last week also announced that due representation would be given to youths from all parts of the State on merit without any discrimination. He also announced that booth committees would be set up in all constituencies and orientation workshops would be conducted as part of strengthening the organisation.