Money to be used to feed malnourished children in anganwadis has been diverted, while children in some anganwadis were being given adulterated polished rice, poor quality wheat grain, low-grain green gram and food without vegetables, representatives of the Samajika Parivartana Janandolana (SPJ), alleged on Monday.
Releasing documents where foodgrains and food products have been procured from local enterprises violating protocol, Y. Mariswamy, State organiser of the SPJ, alleged that some department officials were hand-in-glove with the suppliers. To substantiate his claim, he also released videos of how packets of foodgrains were diverted from one district to another. As per the DWCD policy, rice and wheat should be purchased from FCI godowns, and others should be purchased by the Mahila Supplementary Production and Nutritional Centre at wholesale prices. However, they have been purchased at retail prices from suppliers causing a huge loss to the department, Mr. Mariswamy said.
The janandolana has also alleged that Rs. 57 lakh was misused from January and March 2014, and eggs were not distributed to moderately and severely malnourished children.
