Embezzlement in ICDS food items supply
Source: Hueiyen News Service
Imphal, February 16 2011:
Embezzlement in the supply of rice under the Integrated Child Development Scheme (ICDS) has been detected as it is learnt that only 35 kg of rice supplied to each Anganwadi centre against 50 kg to be made available per month.
The supply of rice 15 kg less than the recommended quantity was detected in Imphal east ICDS project-II (Keirao Bitra).
There are a total of 656 anganwadi centres under Keirao Bitra block and 599 under Imphal East ICDS Project-I (Sawombung) .
Out of the total 656 centres under ICDS project-II, 148 are in Andro Kendra, 148 in Keirao Kendra, 160 in Thongju Kendra and 180 in Kshetrigao Kendra.
As disclosed by some anganwadi workers and helpers, under the supplementary nutrition programme of the ICDS project, each centres have to get 50 kg of rice with five kg of dal, five kg of sugar, one litre of edible oil and milk a month.
The food items are mean for providing to the children of age ranging from six month to six year and pregnant women as their supplementary foods.
The food items were distributed at the house of L Sushilla, project officer of ICDS Keirao Bitra on February 9 last.
When some workers conducted a rechecked to the 50 kg rice bag supplied to them, it was less than 50 kg.
It was found weighting 30 to 35 kg only.
Not only this, each bag of sugar also found weighting only three kg against five kg, the workers said alleging that officials had siphoned off at the rate of 15 kg each from each 50 kg rice bags.
They also got signs of hand stitching to the rice bags which shows siphoning of the rice.
But they were signed that they got 50 kg rice each in the register maintain by the officials, they went on to allege.
Besides this, honorariums for eight months and DA for attending meeting for six month are yet to clear by the authority.
Asked about the less supply of the food items, an official of the ICDS project in Imphal east said that the items were supplied by suppliers selected by Social Welfare Department.
The supplier collected the item from the godown of the Consumer Affairs, Food and Public Distribution Department and deposited at the house of the ICDPO.
Earlier, Social Welfare Department handled the distribution of the items directly to the angwadi centres since government decided to stop earlier policy of sanctioning money to buy the items to the workers.
Handling over of supply works to the suppliers started from 2006 .