Mumbai : The Maharashtra government today informed the Bombay High Court that it had stopped the supply of ‘chikki’ food snack to school students on July 10 following complaints that it was “sub-standard”.
The court was hearing a PIL filed by Sandeep Ahire seeking an inquiry by a retired high court judge into the alleged Rs 206-crore ‘chikki’ scam.
Justice V M Kanade, heading a division bench, observed that the government must have a sense of responsibility in matters involving children. The bench asked the state and other respondents to file a detailed affidavit by August 5.
State Women and Child Development Minister Pankaja Munde has been accused of irregularities in procurement of items worth Rs 206 crore, including chikki, a sweet savoury. It has also been alleged that the chikki, meant to be distributed to tribal students, had traces of clay.
Munde had denied the allegations.
During the hearing today, the state said it had stopped the supply of ‘chikki’ to school students on July 10.
The state’s counsel, Srihari Aney, said that Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis had assured that he would personally look into the matter.
The state Food and Drugs Administration had seized the entire stock meant for supply to Anganwadi (ashram residential schools), he said.
