CID directed to probe child dev scam

SHILLONG, JAN 29: Meghalaya Director General of Police (DGP) Kulbir Kishan directed the CID to conduct an inquiry into the alleged malpractices and corruption in the implementation of the Integrated Child Development Scheme (ICDS) in Meghalaya.

The direction follows the filing of FIR by the Civil Society Women’s Organization (CSWO) with Kishan the alleging there was a massive corruption in the procurement of substandard and unhealthy food items under Supplementary Nutrition Programme of ICDS in Meghalaya.

After her meeting with Kishan on Tuesday, CSWO president Agnes Kharshiing said, “The DGP has directed the CID to conduct an inquiry into the matter and to take action accordingly by registering a case if any form of corruption is found while implementing the scheme.”

Kharshiing FIR alleged that the Directorate of Social Welfare has knowingly supplied dangerous, unhealthy and sub-standard food to children in Meghalaya.

Citing the annual audit conducted by the CAG for Meghalaya in the year 2009-2010 and 2010-2011, Kharshiing said, “The report makes adverse remarks against the Social Welfare Department concerning procurement of food items like instant noodles, biscuits, milk powder and malted milk products for SNP under ICDS.”

The CSWO and Freedom Project had earlier alleged that there is large-scale corruption as “independent tests prove” that the social welfare department of the state and its “contractors/manufacturers indulge in corrupting on an average of 12 crore rupees per year by supplying substandard, unhealthy food to children under the Supplementary Nutrition Programme of the ICDS through Anganwadi Centers, in violation of Supreme Court Orders”.

“The Integrated Child Development Scheme, a flagship program of the Government of India to reduce child malnutrition is in shambles in Meghalaya,” both the ngos claims.

Dishing out statistics, the ngos said, “In 2009-2010 on Yummy Instant Noodles which they were not supposed to supply, the department of social welfare spent Rs 8, 02, 82,951.54. More money was additionally spent on milk powder and malted milk product. Meghalaya spends more than 75 % of the 16 crores earmarked annually for the SNP to pay illegal contractors/manufacturers who supply substandard and poisonous food.”

Kharshiing, however, said, “The adverse remarks by the audit department, two years in a row (2010, 2011) about process of procurement and financial misdeeds point to a criminal conspiracy between public servants of social welfare department and suppliers like Continental Milkose and others.”

Kharshiing’s FIR say, “This act of corruption to defraud children and women of Meghalaya needs to be acted upon and that the guilty be penalized.” – By Our Reporter