Hike in allocations under MDM scheme minimal: RTFC

The Union budget 2017-18 has maintained "status quo" on 'right to food' and the increase in allocations under Mid Day Meal(MDM) scheme was minimal, a network of people and NGOs working for food rights said.
The Right to Food Campaign (RTFC), a network of individuals and NGOs working for food rights in the country, has said the increase in allocations under Mid Day Meal(MDM) scheme was minimal while Rs 1,500 crore under National Nutrition Mission was unspecified.
"The MDM budget which has been increased from Rs 9,700 crore to Rs 10,000 crore, is not an increase at all when adjusted for inflation. The budgetary allocation for the National Nutrition Mission (Rs 1,500 crores) does not indicate what this is for," a RTFC statement said.

The National Food Security Act 2013 guarantees universal maternity entitlements at Rs 6,000 per child.
"For maternity entitlements, in spite of the claims by the Prime Minister in his new year eve speech, the actual budgetary allocation is woefully inadequate to cover all pregnant women. Only Rs 2,700 crore has been allocated for 2017-18 in place of revised estimate of Rs 634 crores for 2016-17," the statement said.
The network also criticised the budgetary measures for farmers terming them as "rhetorical" and having "no bearing" on fructification of bold institutional reforms in agriculture sector.