Behind the numbers lies the human cost of this scam.
Two years ago, NDTV exposed a shocking scandal in Madhya Pradesh. It was not just about money but also about the stolen future of children, pregnant women and adolescents, who depend on the government's nutrition scheme. The Madhya Pradesh government had dismissed the findings in the draft report but two years later, the Comptroller and Auditor General (CAG) confirmed the findings.
The CAG report confirmed that between 2018 and 2021, a Rs 428 crore scam unravelled within the Take Home Ration (THR) scheme, which involved fake beneficiaries, fraudulent transportation claims, and corruption seeped into every layer of the program.
What The NDTV Report Found
Fake Trucks: Trucks carrying nutrition rations turned out to be motorcycles, autos, and tankers. The CAG later verified that over 400 metric tons were never transported as claimed.
Read more: Exclusive: Massive Scam On Madhya Pradesh Chief Minister's Watch, Finds Auditor
False Numbers: The number of adolescent girls eligible for rations was inflated from 9,000 to over 36 lakh, leading to Rs 110 crore being siphoned off.
Unreachable Food: While over 96,000 metric tons of ration were taken in stock, only 86,000 metric tons ever reached Anganwadi centres, leaving over 10,000 metric tons untraceable.
These revelations caused a massive uproar in the state assembly. While opposition leaders demanded accountability, the government scrambled to downplay the scandal.
What The CAG Report Said
Now, the CAG report echoed NDTV's findings. The report said Rs 62.53 crore worth of rations never reached their destinations. Nutrition samples worth Rs 237 crore failed quality checks, meaning beneficiaries likely received substandard food.
Child Development Project Officers (CDPOs) did not inspect Anganwadi centres, demonstrating a complete breakdown in oversight, the report added.
The Madhya Pradesh government finds itself under fire as political leaders demand accountability. Congress MLA and former minister Sachin Yadav has called for immediate action, urging the government to investigate the scam.
"NDTV had exposed how the government's corruption snatched food from children and pregnant women. At that time, the government dismissed the claims, but now even the CAG has confirmed the truth," Mr Yadav said.
He accused the government of being "a government of scams," stating that public funds are being misused while the most vulnerable are left to suffer. Mr Yadav demanded strict action against those responsible for the Rs 428 crore scam.
Political Reactions
The scam has ignited a war of words between the ruling party and the opposition. Minister Govind Singh Rajput dismissed the Congress's allegations as baseless, saying, "I always tell Congress that they lack real issues. Whatever the truth is, it will come out after an investigation."
However, Jaivardhan Singh, another Congress leader, said, "Congratulations to NDTV for raising this issue prominently two years ago. We had said then that the government is robbing the poor of their rights. Now the names of all those involved in this scam must be revealed," he said.
Nirmala Bhuria, the Women and Child Development Department Minister, appeared unaware of the scandal's details. "We are gathering information and will ensure a proper investigation," Bhuria said.
Impact on Lives
According to the central government's June 2024 'Nutrition Tracker', 40% of children in Madhya Pradesh's Anganwadis are stunted, and 27% are underweight. These centres provide meals at just Rs 8 per child daily, which experts argue is insufficient to meet essential nutritional needs like 12-15 grams of protein and 500 calories.
For severely malnourished children, the government raised the allocation to Rs 12 per day, targeting 20-25 grams of protein and 800 calories. However, inflation and rising food costs make this budget inadequate for proper nourishment.
By January 30, 2024, data presented in the Vidhan Sabha revealed 1,36,252 malnourished children under the Mukhyamantri Bal Arogya Samvardhan Program, including 29,830 with severe acute malnutrition (SAM) and 1,06,422 with moderate acute malnutrition (MAM).
Behind the numbers lies the human cost of this scam. Children, who should have received vital nutrition, remain malnourished. Pregnant women, relying on this support for healthy deliveries, were betrayed. This is not just a story of corruption-it's a story of stolen lives and broken trust.