Source: Hueiyen News Service
Imphal, March 23 2013 : With 5448 metric tonne of rice worth around 3.07 crores of rupees and meant for distribution among various Anganwadi centres in the State found siphoned off from the FCI godown itself, a serious question has been raised whether the Social Welfare Department of the State has really become a breeding ground for thieves or not.
Sanctioned by the Union Ministry of Women and Child Development under its Wheat Based Nutrition Programme (WBNP), the siphoned off rice was meant for distribution among children below 5 years of age, pregnant mothers and adolescent girls through various Anganwadi centres in the State.
According to a highly placed source, the sanctioned rice under WBNP vide letter no.7-1/2013-CD-3 of the Ministry dated October 11, 2012 was found to have been siphoned off from the FCI godown, Imphal between January 19 and 24 last.
The letter of the Ministry stated very clearly that rice has been provided in place of wheat, which was normally provided under WBN Programme earlier and it was meant for distribution among the beneficiaries of ICDS under its third quarters.
Even after 5448 metric tonne of rice had been lifted from the FCI godown, it has not reached any of the Anganwadi centres in the State nor it has been loaded in the godown of Social Welfare Department.
The source disclosed that siphoning off the sanctioned rice has been made possible in connivance with high officials of the Department through selection of 12 transport contractors at their own discretion as a stop gap arrangement, when in reality, selection of transport contractors should be done through inviting tenders.
But this standard procedure and norm have been totally ignored.
The selected transport contractors included MS Ningthoujao Enterprises, Thoubal Athokpam for Thoubal district; MS BLL Transport Agency, Samram Wangjing for Imphal East; MS Gandhi Transport Agency, Nongdam Bazaar, Th Mahindras Singh, a Government Approved Supplier and Contractor Branch Office, MG Avenue for Bishnupur; MS N Transport and Supply Agency, Ukhrul for Ukhrul district; MS Min and J Construction and Transport Supply Agency and MS K Chaoba Singh Kerosene and Supplier, Ukhrul Road for Tamenglong district; MS Joyraj Transport Agency, Uripok for Chandel district; MS J and H Transport and Supply Agency and MS J and T Transport and Supply Agency for Churachandpur district and MS Keibamdi Panmei Contractor and Approved Supplier and MS P Construction and Supplier for Senapati district.
The source went on to reveal that the case of siphoning off the sanctioned rice under WBNP came about within a couple of days after the new Director of Social Welfare Department assumed her office.
But to be precise, the whole process was done when the newly appointed Director was out of station and AK Sinha (IAS) was in-charge of the Director’s post.
The Director in-charge gave the approval for withdrawal of the rice.
The order for the selection of the transport contractors was issued by the Commissioner of Social Welfare Letkhogin Haokip.
According to another source, rice which was supposed to be provided to children under ICDS has not been received in some of the Anganwadi centres since October, 2012 .
Even though the rice for the third quarters has not reached the intended beneficiaries till date, an order for withdrawing rice for the fourth quarters has already been issued on January 18 last.
It is very likely that with 5448 metric tonne of rice sanctioned earlier siphoned off, the rice for the fourth quarter would be distributed to some Anganwadi centres disguising as that of the third quarters, the source added.
via NorthEast Calling - NorthEast India | India's No1 online News Magazine http://www.necalling.com/social-welfare-dept-in-the-eye-of-latest-rice-scam/
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