Audit finds graft in MP take home ration scheme, probe sought

Irregularities worth over ₹100 crore in the production and distribution of take home ration (THR) have surfaced in Madhya Pradesh’s nutrition programme, according to the report of state’s accountant general.

According to the report, which HT has accessed, some of the glaring irregularities were observed in the identification of beneficiaries, production and distribution of food under the state government scheme for providing free fortified blended food to children in age group of six months to three years, adolescent girls, pregnant women and lactating mothers.

According to the report, the trucks that were claimed to have been used for transportation of rations were actually found to be motorcycles, cars, autos and tankers during verification from the transport department records.

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Highlighting the scam, Madhya Pradesh accountant general has written to the chief secretary to investigate the matter and fix the responsibility.

“The findings clearly indicate large-scale fraud/misappropriations etc. in the identification of beneficiaries, production, transportation, distribution, and quality control of THR,” said the report.

“Audit, therefore, recommends GoMP (government of Madhya Pradesh) to investigate these issues through an independent agency and fix the responsibility of officials at all levels — CDPOs, DPOs, plant officials, and officials who arranged for transportation, etc., and all other officials who were directly or indirectly involved in these frauds or facilitated the frauds due to their negligence at all levels.”

The department should revamp the entire system and evolve an IT system for better monitoring and control to avoid the recurrence of frauds, the report added.

During the audit, the accountant general found that ₹141 crore paid in advance to the MP State Rural Livelihood Mission for establishment of seven plants, but it was not recovered. The plants manufactured THR beyond their capacity and massive difference was found between production and consumption of electricity during preparation of food, the report highlighted.

The accountant general also found fake manufacturing of THR worth ₹58 crore and suspected fake supply of 821.8 metric tonnes through vehicles claimed to be trucks but turned out to be scooters, motorcycles and tankers when their registration numbers were checked with the transport department.

The major irregularities were found in reports of DPOS of Bhopal, Sagar and Chhindwara districts.

The accountant general also said that Madhya Pradesh has emerged as the third worst state in terms of maternal mortality rate during 2017 to 2019 despite implementation of Take Home Ration scheme with 4.98 million registered beneficiaries in the state.

Despite repeated attempts, chief secretary Iqbal Singh Bais and could not be reached for a comment.

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Women and child development department’s additional chief secretary Ashok Shah, however, said the irregularities in distribution of THR were “clerical errors”.

“The transport of THR is mentioned by motorcycle, car, auto and tanker instead of trucks. In this regard, it was found in MP Agro’s investigation that the above errors have been made in clerical form,” he said. “There has been an error in writing the vehicle number as the actual number of MP 04 GF 9139 is MP 09 GF 9139. Similarly no. 09 is said to be MP 09 HG 9559 while it is actually MP 09 HG 9555. Similarly, there has been a clerical error or in writing the numbers of some vehicles”

It was an interim report and have highlighted things that were clerical errors, he added.