Early Times Report
SRINAGAR, July 25: Thousands of young children at hundreds of Anganwari Centres in Budgam district are force-fed with rotten cereals and biscuits as Police and other government agencies have shut their own eyes to the dangerous violation of food safety norms.
Parents are understood to have brought it to the notice of the previous Deputy Commissioner Khursheed Shah by way of scores of general representations that the items supplied by the officers' favourites had rotten at different stores and offices of Child Development Project Officers [CDPOs]. It had been pointed out to the DC that the stored items, had rotten and insecticides and reptiles, including mice, had completely taken over the godowns. However, the DC, who was also head of the Departmental Purchase Committee did not take any action.
Sources said that there was "total nexus" between different CDPOs, Police and the Anganwari Supervisors while as the Programme Officer had proved to be helpless. Ration items had not been supplies to the Centres for the last several months and the old rotten stored supplies were being force-fed to the young children at hundreds of Centres. A team from State Vigilance Organisation conducted a raid on the store, half-a-Km from DC's office in Budgam, but the matter was hushed up by CDPO Budgam .
Insiders told Early Times that fresh monthly supplies were being shown to have been made without break so as to plunder the State exchequer. "The matter of the fact is that no supplies have been made in the last four months. It is a multi-crore scandal which should be exposed. The CDPOs deposit and retain the money provided by the Centre in their personal accounts. They earn huge interests before the money, often in Crores, is transferred to the payees' accounts", said an official.
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