BHOPAL: Irregularities worth around Rs 428 crore have been detected by the Comptroller and Auditor General of India (CAG) in the Take Home Ration (THR) scheme in Madhya Pradesh between 2018-2021.
The THR is one of the components of the Supplementary Nutrition Programme, which forms part of the Centrally-sponsored Integrated Child Development Services. The scheme’s main aim is to supplement nutritional requirements of children aged between six months and three years, pregnant and lactating mothers and out-of-school adolescent girls (OOSAGs) aged between 11 and 14 years.
During the period when the irregularities have been detected in the scheme, the state was ruled by the Kamal Nath-led Congress and the Shivraj Singh Chouhan-led BJP.
According to the report for the year ended March 31, 2021 tabled in the Vidhan Sabha, “Audit findings clearly indicate serious irregularities in the identification of beneficiaries, production, transportation, distribution and quality control of the THR... The audit, therefore, recommends the government to act appropriately against delinquent officials...”
According to the report, despite Central and state government instructions to complete the baseline survey for the beneficiary identification of OOSAGs for THR distribution by April 2018, the women and child development department could complete the baseline survey only in February 2021.
The delay in the completion of the survey led to irregularities in THR production, transportation and distribution.
While the school education department had estimated the number of OOSAGs at 0.43 lakh in 2018-19 to 2020-21, WCD officials estimated the number to be 5.51 lakh. The WCD directorate yet accepted a “fictitious” number of 5.51 lakh OOSAGs.
The audit revealed that six plants in Dhar, Mandla, Rewa, Sagar and Shivpuri districts supplied THR worth `4.80 crore, despite non-availability on the date of the issue of challan. Six THR manufacturing plants/firms claimed to have transported THR worth `5.46 crore in trucks. But the verification of the database revealed that trucks used were registered as motorcycles, cars, autos and tankers.
Nutrition Programme
THR Scheme is a key component of the Supplementary Nutrition Programme of the centrally sponsored ICDS
Aims to supplement nutritional requirements of children aged between six months and 3 years, pregnant and lactating mothers, out of school girls aged between 11 and 14 years
Irregularities range identification of beneficiaries to the production, transportation, distribution and quality control of the THR
The audit has revealed irregularities to the tune of around `428 crore
Number of out of school adolescent girls was inflated, which led to likely excess expenditure worth Rs 110.78 crore