 G S Asgotra
Early Times Report
Jammu, Jan 19: Violating the norms of Integrated Child Development Scheme (ICDS) the Jammu and Kashmir Social Welfare department is endangering the lives of hundreds of children by srving expired food items to them in Kathua''s Anganwadi centers.
According to reports, Glucose biscuits of DUNN Food Private Limited Company, Morepen Road Thana, district Solan, Himachal Pradesh have been distributed in the Anganwadi centers, all of which were expired date.
On the biscuit packets, which are in possession of Early Times, the manufacturing date is shown as March 2014 and it is also written that the product is "Best before nine months from packing". If calculated, the nine months get expired on November, if March month is included and if excluded than also, the expiry date lapsed in December 31, 2014, but surprisingly the biscuits have been distributed in January month in Anganwadi centers, being run under ICDS scheme.
Sources in department pleading anonymity said that Social Welfare district officers were aware of the expiry date but under the nose of Chairman of ICDS, Mohammed Shahid Iqbal Choudhary, such malpractices have been going on, giving damn to health of children.
A retired official from Food Safety department surprised to find and after examination of biscuit packets, alleged that the biscuits' qualify was also very low, as some local company has been manufacturing the biscuits, which were not available in the open market for public.
"The silence of authorities and the role of committee members, which had passed the biscuits quality is also under scanner and definitely, few officers had got huge money in form of commission to pass the product", he alleged, adding that no enforcement agency including Legal Metrology Department and Food Safety department was bothered about the nexus going in district Kathua.
Another official of SWD said that none bothered about the products supplied in Anganwadi centers as only children from poor families were visiting there.
"In anganwadi centers the children of labourers or BPL families are visiting and there are bleak chances that children of well off families attend anganwadi centers. The parents of children are generally illiterate, due to which such a scandal has been going on unnoticed", he said, adding that if an enquiry would be conducted, many officials of SWD would be found guilty, but if the officers from lower rung to higher rung would be involved, the whole fraud or scandal would be buried silently. When this correspondent contacted to District Food Safety Officer, Mr. Kapoor said that the Glucose biscuits which have been distributing in Anganwadi Centers, might had procured, against the tenders invited in financial year 2013-14.
He further said that if some diet item would expire, same was to be destroyed and it was the responsibility of Social Welfare department to take action. Moreover, Deputy Commissioner Kathua, Shahid Iqbal Choudhary was not available for comments as his phone was not reachable.
When this correspondent repeatedly contacted to Integrated Child Development Scheme Mission Director, G N Itoo, he didn't pick up his phone. |
