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Self-help group booked for ‘under-supplying food’ to tribal women and children in Raigad

The alleged activities of the Adarsh self-help group in Khalapur taluka, 70 kilometres away from Mumbai, came to light after local Maharashtra Navnirman Sena leader Mahesh Soge complained to the village gram panchayat that sub-standard food was being supplied to tribal hamlets.

raigad, women self help group, under supply scam, tribal women children, food supplied, khalapur taluka, indian express As per Sakhare’s estimates, as also of the police, the group was supplying only 60 per cent of the ration it was contracted by the government to supply since May 2016 (Source: Google Maps)

A women’s self-help group is being investigated in Raigad district for allegedly under-supplying nutritious food meant for 6,000 tribal women and children. The scam, say locals, is defeating efforts at tackling maternal and infant malnutrition in Khalapur taluka and has caused an estimated loss of at least Rs 65 lakh to the state exchequer, according to police estimates. The alleged activities of the Adarsh self-help group in Khalapur taluka, 70 kilometres away from Mumbai, came to light after local Maharashtra Navnirman Sena leader Mahesh Soge complained to the village gram panchayat that sub-standard food was being supplied to tribal hamlets.

The state’s tribal welfare and women and child development (WCD) departments have contracted self-help groups to pack and supply sheera containing protein rich chana, soya and groundnuts to pregnant and lactating women and children between the ages of 6 months and three years in tribal areas throughout the state. The ‘take home ration’ of 3.5 kilograms, supplied in four different packets, are to last each household 25 days.

Following Soge’s complaint, gram panchayat president Shraddha Sakhare Wednesday inspected the premises where the food was being packed by four men and weighed samples of each of the four packets. “Each of the packets I weighed was short by at least 700 grams of the quantity specified by the government,” said Sakhare.

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She then notified the Khalapur police station, which has booked Vandana Salunkhe, who runs the self-help group, on charges of cheating, criminal breach of trust by a public servant, fraudulently using a weighing machine and common intention under the Indian Penal Code.

As per Sakhare’s estimates, as also of the police, the group was supplying only 60 per cent of the ration it was contracted by the government to supply since May 2016. Sakhare said there were 3,653 tribal children aged between 6 months and three years and 1,469 pregnant and lactating women in her taluka who depended on government ration. “The food being provided to them is meant to last at least a month, but was getting finished within 12 days. The food is rich in protein but because of the under-supply, we have noticed that malnutrition among tribals has not reduced,” said Sakhare.

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The police are investigating the self-help group both for the reduced volume of its food supply and the quality of meals, apart from details of its contract with the state government. The police have written to both the tribal welfare and the WCD departments for details of the contract awarded to Salunkhe.

“We are getting information from the departments concerned about the standard operating procedure regarding the supply of ration and are trying to understand the role of each person involved in the scheme,” said Anil Paraskar, Superintendent of Police, Raigad.

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Subsequent raids by the police on the premises of the self-help group revealed that their inventory of supplies was one and a half tonne, an entire tonne less than what they are supposed to store for packaging. The police are also investigating where the rest of the food was being diverted to. “We have sent samples of the supplies to the Food and Drug Administration to find if the food being supplied was of the required quality,” said assistant police inspector Mahendra Shelar of Khalapur police station.

No arrests have been made so far.

Sakhare added that the supply of rations had been suspended while the investigation continued. “We have issued instructions that from now, each sample of rations must be weighed to ensure it meets the quantity requirements before it is sent,” she said.

First uploaded on: 29-01-2018 at 03:38 IST
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