Taking an aggressive stand against state women and child welfare minister, Pankaja Munde, in the wake of Bombay high court slamming the tendering process of food given to infants, the NCP has demanded
Taking an aggressive stand against state women and child welfare minister, Pankaja Munde, in the wake of Bombay high court slamming the tendering process of food given to infants, the NCP has demanded her resignation. The NCP has alleged that the scam involves the “biggest amount ever” of Rs 12,000 crore and demanded that the anti-corruption bureau (ACB) investigate it.
Further, the NCP objected to removal of the provision for decentralisation of food distribution and alleged that the decision had been taken to favour a few. “The women and child welfare department on February 25 issued a resolution in favour of decentralisation of take home ration (THR). However, on February 29, it issued another resolution with new terms and conditions, due to which self-help groups became ineligible for tenders. The Bombay high court has slammed the department for decentralising the process,” claimed NCP spokesperson Nawab Malik. Over 30 lakh infants in the state are eligible for THR, which costs Rs 6 per day per child, he said.
“Ms Munde should explain the issue and resign from the post. The government should also conduct an ACB inquiry into the tendering process,” Mr Malik demanded. The court’s observation came after self-help groups claimed Ms Munde’s department had tweaked tender conditions to favour a cartel of companies, and filed a petition to that effect.
The ICDC (Integrated Child Development Services) on March 8 had floated a tender for the following: for manufacture and supply of energy-dense, micronutrient-fortified, blended bal aahar, energy-dense; micronutrient-fortified, blended sukhadi; energy-dense, micronutrient-fortified blended sheera; energy-dense, micronutrient-fortified, blended, nutri-rich sevai; and energy-dense, micronutrient-fortified, blended upma from women’s bachat gats, mahila mandals, mahila sansthas and village communities.
The petition alleged that the tender was drafted in such a way that small and medium women’s self-help groups would get disqualified to ensure that they did not compete. The petitioners further argued that the financial and work experience criteria for eligibility to bid had been tweaked to favour a few.
