Review finds improper allocation of Rs 100 crore for Mid day meal scheme

• WB is facing allegations of misusing funds intended for the Prime Minister's Poshan Yojana mid-day meal scheme
• A joint review conducted by the central and state government found that funds worth over Rs 100 crore were transferred and improper allocation of cereals, cooking rice, lentils, and vegetables
• The WB government has responded by directing the local project director to investigate the findings and has objected to the report, seeking a response from the Center

Between April and September last year, according to a central-state "joint review" of the implementation of the PM Poshan Yojana in West Bengal, funds worth more than Rs 100 crore were transferred under the head.

In January of this year, the Ministry of Education's Joint Review Mission (JRM) in its report also questioned the misuse of funds intended for this scheme to compensate victims of fires, improper allocation of cereals, cooking rice. The report said lentils and vegetables were allocated up to 70 percent less than the "prescribed amount".

According to media reports, the notices were sent to the state government on March 24 by the Union Ministry of Education. Along with observing that the problem was also "misreporting of the number of meals served" and the financial side of it.

100 crore funds have been transferred for mid-day meal, the center said

On 30 March, West Bengal replied to the Center that it had directed the local project director of the program to investigate the findings, which were based on a review conducted by the mission during its visit to the state between 29 January and 7 February. About 140.25 million meals were served during April-September 2022 under the Prime Minister's Poshan Yojana, according to the report, according to the first and second quarter progress report (QPR) submitted by the state government to the Government of India on QPR submitted by the districts of the state, about 124.22 crore of food was issued.

He added that the "overpriced serving of more than 16 million meals is a very serious problem" as the "material cost of 16 million meals is over Rs 100 million".

The state government objected to the report, sought a response

On the other hand, West Bengal Education Minister Bratya Basu and Education Minister Manish Jain did not respond to calls and text messages seeking comment on the alleged irregularities. However, school education department officials in West Bengal said the JRM report was completed "without the signature of the public prosecutor".

Our lunch project director did not sign the report. We wrote about that center. Allegations are also being investigated. Another top civil servant said, “The Center did not respect the sentiment of how JRM should function. The report was not signed by our representative or informed of it prior to completion. He should have been given the opportunity to present the state side. We solved this problem with the center.