New Delhi: The Rajasthan Anti-Corruption Bureau (ACB) has lodged an FIR in a case related to the supply of Mid-Day meals to school children in the state.
It alleged that a scam worth Rs 2,000 crore was systematically executed in procurement and supply of foodgrains for use in mid-day meals of children. They have booked 21 people in the case.
Irregularities in awarding tenders: ACB
The case pertains to the mid-day meal scheme run by the Rajasthan government, during the Coronavirus pandemic. At the time schools had been closed, due to the pandemic. The Rajasthan State Co-operative Consumers’ Federation Limited, better known as CONFED had supplied combo packs of pulses, oil, spices and other eatables, which were to be provided to school students.
The material was claimed to be in accordance with FSSAI and Agmark standards and would be delivered to every school. But huge irregularities and corruption were found in the implementation of this scheme. The ACB started investigations and found that officials associated with the Mid Day Meal scheme and those responsible for CONFED implementation, colluded with each other and changed the rules set by the government.
The officials reportedly did not hold a fare tender process and the firms which were eligible to bid for the contract to provide the food were totally excluded from the tendering process. The officials showed favouritism and allotted the tender to their favourite firms and gave them undue advantage in the entire process. These firms further sublet the supplies to other entities, thus creating an organised network of suppliers and transporters. In several cases, routed through this network, fake bills were submitted at higher rates, without there being any actual purchase of the food material. Government payments were received based on these fake bills.
This entire nexus reportedly caused a loss of Rs 2,000 crore to the state exchequer.
The ACB has lodged an FIR against Sanvatram, an Assistant Accountant at CONFED, Rajendra, Manager (Civil Supplies), CONFED, Lokesh Kumar Bapna, Manager Civil Supplies at CONFED, Pratibha Saini, Assistant Manager at CONFED, Yogendra Sharma, Manager at CONFED, Rajendra Singh Sekhawat, Manager at CONFED, Ramdhan Bairwa, Warehouse Keeper, Marketing Section at CONFED and Dinesh Kumar Sharma, Supervisor at the marketing department of CONFED.
Apart from these officials, others named in the FIR are Kanwaljit Singh Ranawat, Madhur Yadav, Tribhuvan Yadav, Satish Mulchand Vyas, Deepak Vyas, Ritesh Yadav, Shailesh Saxena, Regional Manager, Central Warehouse, BC Joshi, Deputy Manager, Central Stores and Chandan Singh, Assistant Manager, Central Stores.
Apart from the individuals the FIR also names some firms. These include, M/s Tirupati Suppliers, M/s Jagrut Enterprises, M/s MT Enterprises, Proprietor of M/s Sai Trading and other related persons.
