CBI to investigate 'irregularities' in Rajiv Gandhi National Creche Scheme

The Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) has taken over the probe of alleged financial irregularities in the Rajiv Gandhi National Creche Scheme in which the Indian Council for Child Welfare (ICCW) was one of the implementing agencies.

Now FIR has been lodged against ICCW, for alleged embezzlement of funds under the National Creche Scheme.

An FIR in this respect was earlier filed with the Delhi Police's Parliament Street Police Station under section 406 (criminal breach of trust) and 420 (cheating). Now, the CBI will probe the matter.

The Delhi Police had registered an FIR after they received a complaint from an official of the Ministry of Women and Child Development.

According to the complaint, the Centre was implementing the Rajiv Gandhi National Creche Scheme till 2016 and ICCW was one of the implementing agencies of the scheme that had claimed that 5,029 creches were functional in 2015-2016.

The complaint stated that despite knowing that the creches or other programmes "were not running properly, projection of funds were still made as if all aspects were fully functional".

"It was always 25 children per creche. ICCW demanded funds from the WCD Ministry for component that was not being implemented like supplementary Nutrition in HP. This clearly shows misrepresentation of facts," the complaint stated, adding that "demands were raised for creches that did not exist".