Audit finds large-scale fraud in MP food scheme

New Delhi:  Massive irregularities have been found in the audit of Madhya Pradesh government’s take home ration scheme.

Topping the list is fictitious production of take home ration to the tune of Rs 58 crore, which has been detailed in the audit by the Madhya Pradesh Accountant General.

The audit found that the six plants in MP manufactured take home ration way more than their capacity on 534 days in 2018-19 to 2020-21.

The audit concluded that the manufacturing plants reported take home ration production way beyond their rated and permitted capacity which clearly indicated that the plant officials reported fictitious production.

“We compared the raw material needed and the electricity consumed vis-a-vis the THR production which revealed the production of an impossible quantity of THR. The fake production of THR stood at Rs 58 crore,” the audit said.

The audit revealed data manipulation in the estimation of out of school adolescent girls leading to the fake distribution of THR worth Rs 110.83 crore.

Adding to the large-scale irregularities, the audit found there were no trucks to be found. Six THR plants claimed to have transported 1,125.64 tons of THR totalling Rs 6.94 crore.

Verification of the Vahan database of respective states revealed that these trucks used were actually registered as motorcycles, cars, autos and tankers or the trucks did not exist at all in the database.

The audit also found misappropriation of the THR stock worth Rs 62.72 crore as the ration transported by trucks or any other means was not in the warehouse.

The audit findings clearly indicate large-scale fraud and misappropriations in the identification of beneficiaries, production, transportation, distribution and quality control of take home rations.

–IANS

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