Pankaja Munde defends THR tenders, says followed Supreme Court guidelines

Minister for women and child development Pankaja Munde refuted charges of corruption in take home ration (THR) tenders for supply of energy dense micronutrient fortified extruded blended food to anganwadis. Ms Munde claimed that she had followed high court and Supreme Court guidelines while issuing the tenders.

The Aurangabad bench of the Bombay high court had slammed the women and child development department over the tender process that restricted women self-help groups (SHG) by drafting stringent financial conditions.

Ms Munde was in Singapore when the judgement was announced. On Monday, Ms Munde revealed that the Central government-funded scheme has a budgetary allocation of Rs 3,952.6 crore, whereas the annual allocation is just '790.52 crore. She maintained that the Aurangabad bench of the high court had in its verdict approved the tender eligibility conditions of the government. Ms Munde further pointed out that the tender is yet to be finalised.

She said she had to issue a clarification as a section of the media began quoting varying quantum of amount involved. Ms Munde said the THR scheme was introduced in 2009 by the Centre along with the extrusion technology. She further said the previous tender in 2013 was based on primitive roaster technology, whereas this government has reintroduced the extrusion technology that eliminates human touch as mandated by the Supreme Court judgment of 2011 in the Shagun Mahila Mandal case. Ms Munde added that the 2013 tender did not have clause for maintaining hygiene. And her department’s tender conditions required installation of in-house laboratory for testing.

Ms Munde said due care was taken while drafting the tender document and chartered accountants and legal experts were hired to scrutinise them.