CAG Flags Irregularities In Hot Cooked Meal Supply In Saven District Of Madhya Pradesh

Bhopal (Madhya Pradesh): The Comptroller and Auditor General (CAG) has flagged irregularities in the supply of hot cooked meals (HCM) under the Women and Child Development Department during its audit of the establishment and functioning of anganwadi centres for the period ending March 2024.

The report found that 54 unregistered self-help groups (SHGs) were engaged in supplying HCM in seven of the 13 test-checked districts - Mandla, Burhanpur, Datia, Sehore, Shajapur and Sheopur. These SHGs supplied meals worth Rs 8.1 crore to 252 anganwadi centres.

Under the norms, one SHG can cater to a maximum of 10 anganwadi centres, and contractors, businessmen or government employees cannot be directly or indirectly associated with an SHG.

During joint physical verification, the audit found that 13 SHGs in Alirajpur, Sehore and Tikamgarh had neither kitchens nor offices at the addresses mentioned in bills submitted to district programme officers. Sector supervisors pointed auditors to alternate locations, where male workers, who were not SHG members, were found preparing meals.

The workers admitted they operated on behalf of SHGs and were paid between Rs 10,000 and Rs 13,000 a month. The audit also found no stock registers, utensil inventories, kitchen logs or daily consumption records. Meals for 132 anganwadi centres were supplied from these centralised kitchens, for which district programme officers paid Rs 4.11 crore.