Lucknow, Nov 27 (PTI) The Allahabad High Court has ordered the Uttar Pradesh government to file a comprehensive reply on the quality and quantity of food provided at Anganwadi centres across the state for pregnant and lactating women besides children aged six months to six years.

The bench has also sought to know the details of the process of running the programme under the Integrated Child Development Services Scheme (ICDS Scheme), summoning Child Development Services and Nutrition Secretary B Chandrakala and ICDS Director Sandeep Kaur on December 20.

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A bench of Justices AR Masoodi and Subhash Vidyarthi passed the order on a PIL filed by Pratyush Rawat and others. The order, passed on November 25, was made available on the HC's website on Wednesday.

Earlier, in compliance of the previous order of the court, Chandrakala and Kaur had appeared before the court which ordered both officials to remain present at the next hearing as well.

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In the course of the last hearing on the PIL, the court had ordered that if any tender had been finalised on the supply of food, it would not be implemented without the permission of the court.

The court had sought information about compliance with the National Food Security Act, 2013 and Saksham Anganwadi Nutrition Rules, 2022. It had also asked whether the nutrition being given to pregnant and lactating women and children between six months to six years is in accordance with the provisions or not.

During the last hearing on November 11, the petitioners informed the court that without strictly following the provisions, the state government officials started the process of issuing the tender for the supply of nutrition.

At this, the court ordered that if the tender had been finalised, it would not be implemented without its permission.

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