About 14 lakh fake names of children were found registered in Anganwadis of Assam, said Women and Child Development (WCD) Minister Maneka Gandhi today.
The Assam government had carried out a survey in June as part of which physical verification of the number of children present in Anganwadis was done, said Gandhi, adding that when compared to the number of children registered there was a shortfall of about 14 lakh.
Stating that many lapses have been found in the food distribution system, the WCD minister directed all state governments to verify the number of children who "really need to be fed."
Speaking at an orientation programme ahead of the Poshan Abhiyan month of September, Gandhi said the amount that was being siphoned off could easily be used for the wellbeing of children.
As part of Poshan month, the government is set to conduct several nutrition-based programmes.
Gandhi asked all states to not overburden Anganwadis with responsibilities of buying and distributing food.
She said nutritious food should be bought by a third party and the entire process monitored closely.
She said if the states showed the same dedication for Poshan Abhiyaan that was being shown for Beti Bachao Beti Padhao Andolan then India can progress in its fight against malnutrition in one year.
The ministry gives Rs 4.8 and state contributes Rs 3.2 for food per day per child. Upon calculations it was found that Rs 28 crore was siphoned off every month in Assam through the fake names, a senior official said.
The Poshan Abhiyaan scheme's target is to bring down stunting of children in the age group of 0-6 years from 38.4 per cent to 25 per cent by the year 2022.
To achieve its targets, the ministry has prepared an action plan to involve all stakeholders including local communities. This will ensure benefits of integrated child development schemes (ICDS) and other welfare programmes reach eligible beneficiaries.
The ministry has also formulated an action plan to bring together various Union and state government departments as well as non-government organisations on a common platform under 'Poshan Abhiyan' so that a concerted effort is made to achieve the identified targets.
Disclaimer: No Business Standard Journalist was involved in creation of this content
