BHUBANESWAR: Despite availability of funds, at least 1.98 lakh children, pregnant women and lactating mothers in five districts of the state were deprived of the supplementary nutrition programme (SNP) under ICDS scheme, in five years between 2018-23, revealed the latest audit report of the Comptroller and Auditor General (CAG) on Tuesday.
The CAG also found a substantial number of children to be moderately malnourished, raising concerns over effective implementation of the scheme.
The SNP was aimed at improving health and nutritional status of children, pregnant women and lactating mothers by giving nutritional support to them for 300 days a year. Each beneficiary was to be provided nutritious food as part of morning snacks, hot cooked meal (HCM) and take home ration (THR) under the programme.
However, the performance audit report of CAG on implementation of Poshan including ICDS and MDM for the year ended March 2023, pointed out serious shortcomings in implementation of the programme.
The report stated that the six districts showed enrollment of a total 57,64,642 beneficiaries under the SNP during 2018-23, of which about 55,66,539 were covered under the scheme and provided with nutritional support while another 1,98,103 beneficiaries were deprived of the support, despite availability of funds.
Funds to the tune of Rs 5,128.95 crore was available with the WCD department during 2018-23. However, it could utilise only about 93.14 pc of it, i.e Rs 4,777.12 crore, leaving an unspent balance of Rs 381.41 crore.
On the other hand, all beneficiaries were shown as covered with an expenditure of Rs 4,777.12 crore against the full projected requirement of Rs 5,430.66 crore, the CAG stated, adding that it indicated either all the beneficiaries had actually not been covered, or that the state had furnished incorrect information to the Centre for release of funds.
The CAG audit also found that out of total 38,22,653 kids eligible for weighment in six selected districts, weight and height of 36,45,520 kids were taken under SNP, leaving 1,77,133 unmeasured during 2018-23.