Education activists allege tur dal is being procured at higher rates from select contractors; school education department denies, says tendering process is open
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Will controversies stop dogging the mid-day meal scheme? One can hope… After substandard quality of food and discrepancies in rates, the latest allegation against the Centre's meal programme for schoolchildren is favouritism towards certain contractors.
The allegation
Education activists have alleged that tur dal costs Rs 80 a kg in the open market, and yet the school education department continues to procure it for Rs 115 a kg from Solapur and Rs 135 a kg from Kolhapur for the scheme. This is to benefit certain contractors, which is ultimately leading to taxpayers' money being wasted, they added.
'All open'
However, the department has refuted the allegation.
It recently initiated the tendering process for procurement of foodgrains and cereals under the scheme for the academic year 2017-18, with the tender called for 33 districts, excluding Solapur and Kolhapur.
The department's principal secretary, Nand Kumar, said, "The government procures 17 items through the tendering process for the mid-day meal scheme. Since the tender is for one year, prices are fixed on an average, not every month. If the price of an item rises, the bidder has to deliver that item at the rate fixed during the tendering process."
"In the case of tur dal, its price had shot up to Rs 200 a kg, but the supplier had to deliver it at the rate fixed. There are no irregularities in the procurement; the tendering process is open, anyone can participate," he added.
When asked why the two districts have been excluded from the current process, Nand Kumar said, "Tenders are issued for a period of one year. In the two excluded districts, the process was done earlier (a couple of months back). That's why, these two districts have not been included in the new process."
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