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BHOPAL: The Madhya Pradesh accountant general (AG) has detected large-scale irregularities in the midday meal and free food scheme for children. The audit found that the number of beneficiaries was hugely inflated and that vehicles listed as trucks turned out to be scooters, motorcycles and autos. The AG has asked the chief secretary to hold an in-depth investigation through an ‘independent agency’ into the alleged scam and fix responsibility of officials.
The Madhya Pradesh accountant general has also detected irregularities in women and child development (WCD) department, being headed by chief minister Shivraj Singh Chouhan himself.
Vehicles listed as trucks turned out to be scooters, motorcycles and autos and the number of beneficiaries was hugely inflated, stated the confidential report accessed by TOI. The AG has asked the chief secretary to hold an in-depth investigation through an ‘independent agency’ into the alleged scam and fix responsibility of officials.
“Audit findings clearly indicate large-scale fraud/misappropriations in the identification of beneficiaries, production, transportation distribution and quality control of Take-Home Ration (THR),” it said, suggesting a revamp of the entire process and evolving an IT system for better monitoring and control to avoid any recurrences.
Under THR, nutritious food is distributed to children aged 6-36 months and pregnant/lactating women. MP was third in maternal mortality in country between 2017 and 2019 despite THR. The directorate informed auditors that government had spent just over Rs 2,393 crore to procure 4.05 MT THR to deliver to 1.34 crore beneficiaries of all categories from 2018-2021.
In 2018-19, the school education department had estimated the number of out-of-school adolescent girls (OOSAGs) at 9,000 but the WCD department, without conducting any baseline survey, estimated their number at 36.08 lakh, said the report. The audit found a clear indication of “data manipulation” during 2018-21, leading to the “fake distribution of THR worth Rs 110.83 crore”.
Auditors also suspect a fake supply of 821.8 MT THR worth Rs 4.95 crore. Also, 479.4 MT of THR worth Rs 2.96 crore was transported on trucks that “do not exist”.
The Madhya Pradesh accountant general has also detected irregularities in women and child development (WCD) department, being headed by chief minister Shivraj Singh Chouhan himself.
Vehicles listed as trucks turned out to be scooters, motorcycles and autos and the number of beneficiaries was hugely inflated, stated the confidential report accessed by TOI. The AG has asked the chief secretary to hold an in-depth investigation through an ‘independent agency’ into the alleged scam and fix responsibility of officials.
“Audit findings clearly indicate large-scale fraud/misappropriations in the identification of beneficiaries, production, transportation distribution and quality control of Take-Home Ration (THR),” it said, suggesting a revamp of the entire process and evolving an IT system for better monitoring and control to avoid any recurrences.
Under THR, nutritious food is distributed to children aged 6-36 months and pregnant/lactating women. MP was third in maternal mortality in country between 2017 and 2019 despite THR. The directorate informed auditors that government had spent just over Rs 2,393 crore to procure 4.05 MT THR to deliver to 1.34 crore beneficiaries of all categories from 2018-2021.
In 2018-19, the school education department had estimated the number of out-of-school adolescent girls (OOSAGs) at 9,000 but the WCD department, without conducting any baseline survey, estimated their number at 36.08 lakh, said the report. The audit found a clear indication of “data manipulation” during 2018-21, leading to the “fake distribution of THR worth Rs 110.83 crore”.
Auditors also suspect a fake supply of 821.8 MT THR worth Rs 4.95 crore. Also, 479.4 MT of THR worth Rs 2.96 crore was transported on trucks that “do not exist”.
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