By Our Reporter
SHILLONG: The Civil Society Women Organization (CSWO) on Tuesday asked the Director General of Police (DGP) Kulbir Krishan to investigate into the scam in the Integrated Child Development Scheme (ICDS) unearthed earlier by social activists.
In this connection, the CSWO filed an FIR here on Tuesday against corrupt procurement of sub-standard and unhealthy food items to children under the Supplementary Nutrition Programme (SNP) of the ICDS.
The CSWO asked the DGP to probe into the matter and book those government officials involved in supplying pre-cooked instant noodles with MSG (Yummy Instant Noodles) and unknown brands of biscuits, milk powder and malted food to the children.
The Meghalaya Social Welfare Department had come under the scanner for allegedly supplying sub-standard and unhealthy food to children under the SNP through Anganwadi centres at the cost of Rs 24 crore for the last two years in blatant violation of Supreme Court orders.
“This is not the first instance where the Social Welfare Department has knowingly supplied dangerous, unhealthy and sub-standard food to children of the State,” alleged CSWP president Agnes Kharshiing.
“The quality issue coupled with adverse remarks by the Audit department (2010-2011) about the process of procurement and financial misdeeds point to a criminal conspiracy between public servants of the Social Welfare Department and suppliers like Continental Milkose and others,” Kharshiing added.
“This act of serial corruption to defraud children and women of Meghalaya needs to be acted upon and penalty should be handed out to the guilty,” Kharshiing added.