Naga govt inflated enrollment no to get MDM funds: CAG

Kohima: Comptroller and Auditor General of India (CAG) has found that the Nagaland government furnished inflated figures regarding enrollment of children under Mid-Day Meal to avail more funds and food grain under the Centrally sponsored scheme.
This was revealed by the CAG report on Social, Economic Revenue and General Sector for the year end March 31, 2015, which was tabled in the Assembly on Saturday.
The MDM Scheme was launched with the objective of universalising primary education by increasing enrollment, retention and attendance besides improving nutritional status of school children. However, the CAG report stated that there was inadequacy in effective implementation of the scheme, efficient financial management and effective monitoring. During 2010-15, the state government inflated the number of children enrolled by 3,50,858 over the figures of Sarva Shiksha Abhiyan (SSA) to avail more funds under MDM scheme, the report said.
As per the MDM Annual Work Plan and Budget of the State Govt, the enrolled children stood at 12,79,792 while the records of the School Education Dept on the basis of information from District Information System for Education (DISE) and Unified DISE provided by SSA has 9,28,934 children enrolled. The CAG observed that the department furnished inflated figures to the Govt of India to avail more food grain and funds than actually required for MDM scheme. (PTI)