Letters to the Editor: December 17, 2018

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December 17, 2018

Waiver of loan is a temporary solution

The government must goad the industries and big businesses to partly move towards the villages and small towns. These have to be made self-sufficient and self-governing. Certain items must be allocated to be manufactured in villages and small towns. Clothing, footwear, agricultural implement, food preservation and such things must be made in villages and small towns.

We have to create basic education and healthcare in villages. Gram panchayat has to be empowered with 50 per cent reservation for women. District administration and agricultural colleges must be made to work with the Gramsabhas. Naxalism will reduce if we draw the youth towards games and sports and even films. Ayurvedic and Homeopathic medicines must be popularised starting from children in the villages. Animal husbandry, protection of crops from ‘neelgai’ and other animals by active volunteering in hamlets must be done. We have to love our land — test and nourish it.

Mahendra Singh

SC order on appointing CICs

It refers to the Supreme Court order directing the Central government to make appointment process of Central Information Commissioners (CICs) including the Chief, transparent by putting up the list of applicants on website making clear the service conditions of CICs. Supreme Court has also directed to initiate appointment process of other three CICs wherein presently the process is initiated only for the appointment of Chief Information Commissioner and four more Commissioners because at that time there were only four vacancies at CIC with four more having retired afterwards in November-December 2018.

But instead of further delaying and spending extra on the appointment process, the Central government can better select all the eight new Commissioners from the existing list of applicants by seeking appropriate directions from the Supreme Court. For the future, selection should be done well in advance so that newly selected Commissioners may take charge immediately on the retirement of earlier ones to fully utilise the huge infrastructure of CIC where presently much of the staff has to sit idle after the retirement of the Commissioners.

Madhu Agrawal

Marital bliss for Saina Nehwal and Parupalli Kashyap!

While the nation was glued to the Ambani wedding which was the talk of the town, ace badminton player Saina Nehwal silently got married to another Indian player Parupalli Kashyap and here is wishing the newlywed couple a very happy innings of togetherness. It certainly was the Best match of their life and both Saina and Kashyap should scale bigger heights in their profession now that they look so happy to take on any challenges in life.

Saina and Kashyap make a happy couple and other Indians should take a leaf out of their lives to keep celebrations simple be it wedding or otherwise and concentrate on goals that can bring glory to the nation. Saina still has lot of badminton career still left in her and hope her wedding to Kashyap brings lot of luck and fortune which she converts into medals and trophies for our country!

SN Kabra

(The views expressed by the authors in the article are his/her own.)

Parrikar should be allowed to deal with illness without ‘pressure and tamasha’: Omar

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Web Team

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December 17, 2018

Goa Chief Minister Manohar Parrikar should be allowed to deal with his illness without pressure and “tamasha” (spectacle), National Conference leader Omar Abdullah said on Monday.

Abdullah’s comment came after photographs on Sunday showed Parrikar inspecting a bridge under construction on the Mandovi River in Panaji on Sunday.

The Chief Minister, who is suffering from a pancreatic ailment, is seen with a tube inserted through his nose, giving instructions to engineers of the Goa State Infrastructure Development Corporation and contracting firm Larsen and Toubro.

Abdullah said it is “inhuman” to force Parrikar to continue working and doing “photo ops”.

“He has a tube inserted through is nose into his digestive tract. How inhuman to force him to continue working and doing photo ops. Why can’t he be allowed to deal with his illness without all this pressure and tamasha?” the former Jammu and Kashmir chief minister said in a tweet.

Parrikar, 63, was seen in public for the first time since returning to the state on October 14 post hospitalisation in Delhi’s All India Institute of Medical Sciences (AIIMS).

Apart from reviewing work on the Mandovi river, the chief minister also inspected the work on a bridge over the Zuari river near Agassaim village, around 15 km from Panaji.

Parrikar has been recuperating at his private residence near here since October 14.

Sunday was the first time he moved out of the house, officials said.

A senior functionary at the Chief Minister’s Office on Sunday said Parrikar travelled from Porvorim to Merces to inspect the bridge, the third over the Mandovi river.

The opposition Congress has been alleging that Parrikar’s ailment and his absence from office had brought the coastal state’s administration to a standstill.

Don’t politicise Sajjan Kumar’s conviction: Cong

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Web Team

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December 17, 2018

Congress leaders on Monday said that the conviction of Sajjan Kumar by the Delhi High Court in a 1984 anti-Sikh riots case should not be politicised and the law should take its own course.The Delhi High Court on Monday convicted the Delhi Congress leader for conspiracy to commit murder in the case and sentenced him to imprisonment for life. A bench of Justices S Muralidhar and Vinod Goel convicted Kumar for criminal conspiracy, promoting enmity, and acts against communal harmony.
“It should not be linked to the political atmosphere prevailing in the country. The law should take its course, there are appeals,” senior Congress leader Abhishek Manu Singhvi said.
There have been verdicts in the past where people have been found guilty, while others have been absolved, he told reporters.
“This should not be politicised and political benefit should not be derived from this,” Singhvi said.
Kumar does not hold a position of power in the party, his colleague, senior Congress leader Kapil Sibal, added.
“What decision has been taken by the court is a legal process. We have seen how cover up is going on in the Sohrabuddin case… and what about Justice Loya’s death?” he asked, referring to the Sohrabuddin Sheikh encounter case and the suspicious death of Justice B H Loya who was hearing the case.
“Don’t give it a political colour as it is a court decision,” he told reporters.
Sibal also brought up the issue of the 2002 riots in Gujarat and alleged that a number of BJP leaders were named in the cases.
“Charity should begin at home,” he said.
Sunil Kumar Jakhar, president of the Punjab Pradesh Congress Committee, said the party has been clear that whoever was involved in the riots should be brought to justice.
“Yes, justice has been delayed but delivered finally. Nobody is above law and anyone who is involved in such a heinous crime should be brought to justice,” the Congress MP told reporters outside Parliament.
Party leader Ghulam Nabi Azad refused to comment when asked for his reaction.
The riots, in which thousands of Sikhs were killed, broke out after the assassination of prime minister Indira Gandhi by her Sikh bodyguards on October 31, 1984.

Doves — A symbol of Peace

By

Jubel D'Cruz

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December 17, 2018

The dove has long been viewed as a symbol of Peace. Surely, the concept of peace is relevant to Christmas. After all, Jesus was born into the world to bring peace between God and Mankind. Consider the words of the angels to the shepherds on the day Jesus Christ was born, “Glory to God in the highest, and on earth peace to men on whom His favour rests.” (Luke 2:14).

Though the good news of Jesus’ birth was said to be for all the people, it seems that the offer of peace was more exclusive; it was for men on whom God’s favour rested. There are a handful of distinct occasions in history when God made an offer of peace through specific men; special covenants were made with Noah, Abraham, Moses, and Jesus, and interestingly, the dove played a symbolic role in each case.

In the days of Noah, the Bible records how all the people on the earth had corrupted their ways. God told Noah how He was going to send a flood to destroy everything on earth, but that He would establish a covenant with Noah to save him and his family through an ark.

After many days in the ark, the floodgates of the heavens were closed, and Noah sent out a dove to determine the state of the earth. After the dove’s second journey, it returned to Noah, and in its beak was a freshly plucked olive leaf. Then Noah knew that the water had receded from the earth. Surely, God was offering peace to mankind through Noah and his family by giving them a fresh start on earth.

Several generations later, God chose to establish a special relationship of peace with Abraham and His descendants. Abraham would become the father of the Jewish people, a nation to whom God offered peace and relationship with Himself. In order to establish his covenant to give them the land of Canaan, God gave Abraham instructions for a ritual that involved a heifer, a goat, a ram, a pigeon and a dove. We will find later in history that each of these species was prescribed for sacrifice in the temple. These sacrifices were formally established many generations after Abraham through his descendant Moses.

Moses was born in Egypt at a time when the Jewish people were enslaved. God used Moses to lead his people out of Egypt and to establish a new covenant with them. As a part of this particular covenant, God revealed his laws to the Jewish people. Yet, knowing that they could not perfectly obey His law, God set up a system of animal sacrifices. Sin separated the people from God, and the sacrifices were designed to make peace with Him. Essentially, the animals took upon themselves the consequence of sin, which is death.

Yet animal sacrifices would never be sufficient in establishing a permanent peace with God. The Book of Hebrews, Chapter 10, Verse 11 says, “Day after day every priest stands and performs his religious duties; again and again he offers the same sacrifices, which can never take away sins.” The law was meant to reveal the need for a priest, Jesus, who could offer once and for all a final and acceptable sacrifice for sin.

Again, several generations passed before Jesus, another descendant of Abraham, was born. Before beginning His ministry on earth, Jesus was baptized. The Bible tells us that as Jesus came up out of the water, the Holy Spirit descended on Him in bodily form like a dove. And a voice came from heaven saying, “You are my Son, whom I love; with you, I am well pleased.” (Mark 1:11, Matthew 3:17). How fitting that since the Holy Spirit is a sign of peace between God and man, and since it otherwise has no physical body, it would take on the form of a dove.

Ultimately, Jesus gave up His life as a sacrifice for the sin of men. He made it possible for those who put their hope in Him to receive the same Holy Spirit that descended on Him, a sign and seal of peace between God and man.

Jesus paid the final sacrifice for sin by dying on the cross. He ushered in the final covenant of peace between God and man. When the angels spoke of the peace to men on whom God’s favour rests, they spoke of Jesus Christ and all those who believe in Him.

Doves are common birds with a very symbolic history. Many religions and cultures celebrate doves as a symbol of peace. The Christian religion uses the dove as a symbol of God, while other cultures release doves into the sky at ceremonies, weddings, and other important events.

The cool thing about doves is that they live all over the world, with the exception of Antarctica. They are pretty birds and can live in desert areas, tropical forests, mountains, and woodlands.

May the images of doves during the Christmas season serve as a reminder of the Holy Spirit, who is the seal of peace with God. After all, true spiritual peace was the purpose for which Jesus Christ was born into the world.

(The views expressed by the author in the article are his/her own.)

1984 Anti-Sikh riots: Congress leader Sajjan Kumar convicted by Delhi HC, gets life-term

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Web Team

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December 17, 2018

The Delhi High Court on Monday convicted Congress leader Sajjan Kumar in the 1984 anti-Sikh riots case. The HC has reversed the earlier trial court’s judgement in which he had been acquitted in the case.

Former Congress councillor Balwan Khokhar, retired naval officer Captain Bhagmal, Girdhari Lal and two others were held guilty in the case relating to the murder of five members of a family in Raj Nagar area of Delhi Cantonment on November 1, 1984, after the assassination of then prime minister Indira Gandhi.

A bench of Justices S Muralidhar and Vinod Goel delivered the verdict in the case related to the killing of five people in the Delhi Cantonment area following the assassination of Indira Gandhi on October 31, 1984.

The Delhi HC in October had reserved its order on the Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) plea that challenged the trial’s court judgment where Sajjan Kumar was acquitted and five others were convicted in the case.

The CBI has filed an appeal challenging the acquittal of Kumar and said that the trial court “erred in acquitting Sajjan Kumar as it was he who had instigated the mob during the riots”.

In 2013, the trial court had convicted five others – former councillor Balwan Khokkar, former legislator Mahender Yadav, Kishan Khokkar, Girdhari Lal and Captain Bhagmal – for their involvement in the case.

Sajjan Kumar and five others were tried in the case involving the killing of five Sikhs – Kehar Singh, Gurpreet Singh, Raghuvender Singh, Narender Pal Singh and Kuldeep Singh, who were members of the same family – by a mob in Delhi Cantonment’s Raj Nagar area.

The five convicts have filed appeals against their conviction and sentencing. The CBI filed appeals and alleged that all of them “planned communal riot” and were involved in “religious cleansing” after the then Prime Minister’s assassination. The crime investigating agency also challenged Sajjan Kumar’s acquittal.

The case against Sajjan Kumar and others was registered in 2005 on a recommendation by the Justice GT Nanavati Commission.

Lousy food safety standards a challenge before India’s growth

By

Vaidehi Taman

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December 16, 2018

In India, Food is one vital factor; you will find street-side food stalls to big restaurants overcrowded by the people. One thing which is the most common is the kitchen or the place where they cook and it’s unhygienic. Unless there is no major challenge to the health, one conveniently ignores the same. Safety and Standards Authority of India (FSSAI) is the apex food regulator. It is empowered by and functions under the Ministry of Health and Family Welfare, Government of India. The FSSAI implements and enforces food regulations as prescribed in the Food Safety and Standards Act, 2006 (FSS Act). But the authorities are laced with corruptions. They conveniently ignore hygiene for the extra perks. Previous to the FSS Act, there were a number of food legislation. All these have been combined into a homogenous whole in the FSS Act. We have law in place but its implementation is a big issue. Food safety is a serious public health concern in the world’s two most populous countries, China and India. In both the countries, the challenges of feeding a large and geographically dispersed population, millions of whom are poor and malnourished, are immense. This has led to the multiplying of illegal, dishonest, and bootleg suppliers and sloppy government policies. The results are disadvantageous to public health, particularly for susceptible communities. These crises further compromise international perceptions, indicating poor governance, weak political will, inadequate policies, and lax implementation. The path to development is not exclusively about economic growth, jobs, and infrastructure. Clear and consistent food regulatory policy and their implementation are both imperative for growth and the inherent responsibility of responsible and progressive governments.

This month, the prasadam (food) cooked in a temple in Karnataka took several lives, the caterer was never under the scrutiny; tainted milk products in India have led to child deaths, resulting in consumer backlash and pledges by the government to address the safety of food sources. Other food safety episodes in India include marketing tainted meat products, adulterated milk, and unbranded water. An investigation also charged distillers with adding the virility drug Viagra to liquor products. McDonalds and KFC have suffered losses due to food safety concerns, and the widely publicised gutter oil scandal lingers amid ongoing investigations. In Delhi, many of these outlets came under the scanner of food and drug authorities, even Haldirams, the famous food chains was also raided but with heavy hafta (bribe) they again become functional. The concern about food contamination — more than a desire to improve health — is now driving increased interest in healthy diets, including organic meat. This organic, food, oils, ghee and herbs to pulses, everything has become a huge business but the consumers are not told about the unauthentic practices that followed in this market.

The food tittle-tattles have dogged India for decades. The case of Nestlé’s Maggi instant noodles had thrust the issue of food safety into the national political spotlight. The additives such as monosodium glutamate (MSG) which some consider a possible health concern have been detected in Maggi noodles, although the company had consistently denied using such additives. Some even say that Maggi was attacked because those days businessman Ramdev was to arrive in the market with his Patanjali products. Even Patanjali products were banned in many places due to excessive use of chemicals being detected in all foodstuffs. The FSSAI Chairperson has been quoted saying that the food safety authority has not approved Patanjali Atta Noodles and the matter is being pursued. For instant noodles, the companies need to take prior approval. Patanjali Ayurved has not taken approval for it and whatever product was launched in the market, the consumer filed complaints of having maggots in the noodles packs. Ironically, the noodle packets are flaunting the license number while the FSSAI spokesperson claims that it is not a standardised product and have been launched without their approval. Only after the FSSAI approves a product, the state government issues licenses to start manufacturing. The Officials from the food safety authority allege that the approval has not been given yet but the product has been launched displaying a license number which they are not aware how it was procured. A letter from the authority notifying the same had been doing rounds on the social media. After the Food Safety and Standards Authority of India (FSSAI) discovered unhealthy levels of lead in the noodles, the Indian government banned Maggi. But the same government was silent on Patanjali.

The rampant use of milk adulterants (agents to reduce thickness after water is added) can cause both short-term digestive problems and long-term chronic health problems. Genetically modified products are increasingly seen by some as a viable solution for feeding India’s growing population, setting the stage for a public battle among corporations, scientists, public health advocates, and NGOs. Although the EU recently lifted a ban on imported Indian mangoes, a number of agricultural products remain subject to import restrictions, due ostensibly to lax regulations and enforcement. In addition to garnering political notice, health and safety issues have become a publicly visible concern as well. For example, a video accusing the Hindustan Unilever of dumping toxic wastes had in 2015 created a wave of attention on social media. Such episodes are indicative of a groundswell of discontent as information becomes more ubiquitous and consumers become more informed – inevitabilities of a more educated and technologically savvy public. Regrettably, India’s food safety standards are not at developed world standards. This raises the prospect that India’s food safety monitoring system is inconsistent and arbitrary, a product of larger governance and bureaucratic failures at the regulatory level.

Food safety is only one of many threats to public health in India. Delhi city ranks in the bottom 100 of 476 Indian cities for sanitation and waste management. Child deaths from diarrhea are among the highest in the world due to poor water quality. Not a single city in India provides clean water that can be consumed from the tap. To connect the issue with larger developmental concerns, India needs FDI to maintain growth.

(Any suggestions, comments or dispute with regards to this article send us on feedback@www.afternoonvoice.com)

City street foods need urgent hygiene check!

By

Twinkle Mehta

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December 16, 2018

Mumbai is known as the hub of street foods; however, the Bombay HC had declared cooking on Mumbai streets illegal twice, which has also not been followed. After a recent revelation by the Maharashtra Food and Drug Administration (FDA) where 74 per cent of Mumbai restaurants are found violating the rules under Food Safety and Standard Act, while there have been no talks on the hygiene at the street food stalls. However, it appears as the FDA and the government might be lagging behind to ensure the hygiene and food safety violations by the street food vendors.

As per the reports, 442 hotels and restaurants were examined by the FDA in Mumbai and out of that, 327 kitchens are reported unhygienic. According to the FDA rules and regulations, all the kitchens from five-star hotels to street vendors should follow the food safety rules. Although in the last month, the FDA announced the life imprisonment to soon be the maximum punishment for food adulterators in the state. Recently, the FDA has issued a notice to all these hotels and restaurant directing them to follow the rules and has warned to close the kitchens if the same were not followed. Nonetheless, it raises a concern for the Mumbaikars considering what measures are being taken to curb the violations of hygiene and food safety!

Shiv Sena MLA Prakash Surve commented, “The street food vendors should be kept under watch, and the watch should be uncorrupt. The BMC doesn’t take any action against them. They should be observed as to what food they are cooking, what water they are using. The administration must increase their manpower and thorough inspection must be done.”

Initially, in 2015, the Bombay High Court directed the Municipal Corporation of Greater Mumbai to evict the hawkers who prepare food on the streets, lanes, and pavements in the city. Later in February this year, the Bombay High Court pulled up the BMC for failing to initiate action against the hawkers and roadside food stalls, which continue to cook and sell food in the open and continue to breach the 2015 orders of the bench. The reason being, the state government had completely failed to implement the Street Vendors Act.

In a conversation with AV, Food Auditor Akshi Kapadia threw light upon the campaigning taking place to train and certify the street food vendors in the city and suburbs. She explained, “Just two or three weeks ago, auditing and training for food vendors have started. Currently, in Mumbai, some of the agencies have started training the street food vendors and certifying them and the campaign has started in Ghatkopar Khau Galli. It will take time but things will eventually turn better.”

She continued saying, “The hawkers are being given a FoSTaC training which is a government certificate for hygiene in different sectors. This was already in the plan and getting executed now. The concern has grown about hygienic food in the customers and as well as the officials. However, not all the vendors will be willingly participating because you know the major concern for them is the money. But it is a positive feedback on the part of the street vendors who have participated.”

As it is well-known that a large part of the Mumbaikars prefers street foods than the restaurant ones! Hence, not only street food but all the FBOs are being targetted. The FSSAI is gearing up for rigorous large-scale inspections to be carried out at FBOs’ premises across the country in order to ensure compliance with the FSS Regulations, 2011. This has been revealed at an event hosted by industry body CII on Thursday. In effect to it, the Maharashtra FDA slapped a notice on December 13 to the renowned Lonavla-based Chikki manufacturer Maganlal Chikki, asking it to stop the production for alleged violation of Food Safety and Standards Act, 2006 (FSSA) at its plants.

Film professional Paroma Bhowmik expressed, “India’s health, hygiene, and sanitation problems are much more omnipresent than it is projected to be. If people are fervently fretting about the hygiene of street food then they should perhaps focus on the extensive rate of food adulteration that is being conducted by some of the biggest industries of the world.”

The issue of hawkers cooking and selling food on the roadside has become unexpectedly prominent. Considering the hygiene issues faced by the street food consumers, Mumbaikars are appealing the government to create awareness for maintaining hygiene and public health.

Argha Ghosh, an Associate content writer by profession spoke to AV and stated, “The basic need is to educate the importance of hygiene to the people who run these street food stalls. They should be given a proper demonstration so that they understand how it can affect the health of the consumers and that the person who is running the stall also falls under the same bracket of ‘consumer’. This could be one way we can ensure street food hygiene. Along with that, the government needs to keep a regular tab on how these shops are running and do regular quality checks.”

Banking professional Sankha Ghosh too shared his thoughts. He expressed, “Across India, there have hardly any uniform hygiene and safety parameter set. So, it’s quite natural that street foods are most unhygienic. The irony is, in a city like Mumbai, there are a large number of people who have their major meals from these joints. Keep apart the other facilities, the basic fooding of these people are highly endangered leading to various diseases. So, the supply of foods needs to be monitored. And, there can be a municipal budget to help these local street vendors to use proper ingredients in food.”

Builder booked for trying to grab Dilip Kumar’s bungalow released, Banu requests meeting with PM

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Web Team

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December 16, 2018

Following the release of builder Samir Bhojwani, who had falsely claimed ownership of the two plots on which Dilip Kumar’s bungalow was built, the legendary actor’s wife Saira Banu Khan has requested to meet Prime Minister Narendra Modi to discuss the issue.

The 96-year-old actor’s bungalow is located in the upscale Pali Hill area of Bandra.

On Sunday, Banu’s request was shared on Kumar’s official Twitter account. “Request from Saira Banu Khan: The Hon’ble @PMOIndia Shri @narendramodi

Sir, Land Mafia Samir Bhojwani released from jail. No action taken despite assurances by CM @Dev_Fadnavis . Padma Vibhushit betrayed, threatened by money and muscle power. Request meeting with you in #Mumbai,” the tweet read.

Earlier this year Banu had approached police and lodged a complaint against Bhojwani. In January, the Economic Offences Wing (EOW) of the Mumbai Police had registered a case of cheating against the builder for allegedly trying to grab the bungalow of the veteran actor.

The police officials suspected that Bhojwani forged certain documents to grab the property. After the offence was registered, a team of EOW sleuths raided Bhojwani’s residence in Bandra from where they seized weapons, including knives and daggers.

Bhojwani was arrested by EOW in April this year.

With eye on 2019, BJP govt in Maha woos onion growers

By

Web Team

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December 16, 2018

In the wake of BJP’s defeat in three big states which many attributed to growing farm distress, the party-led Maharasthra government is considering a host of measures like ex-gratia grant and transport subsidy for onion growers to provide them relief against sliding prices.

The Bharatiya Janta Party (BJP) has suffered a rural drubbing in Chhattisgarh, Rajasthan and Madhya Pradesh in recent state polls and the party ruling at the Centre is looking for smart solutions to address agrarian distress ahead of 2019 general elections.

Maharashtra is one of the major onion grower states in the country and both the Centre and the state government want to avert onion crisis as opposition parties have decided to raise the farm distress issue to corner the ruling dispensation in the ongoing winter session of Parliament.

According to sources, the Maharashtra government is in the process of finalising intervention measures such as ex-gratia grant and transport subsidy under a central scheme ‘Operation Green’.

The ‘Operation Green’ is relatively a new scheme, implemented by the Union Food Processing Ministry, that has a corpus of Rs 500 crore and aims to aid farmers in times of erratic price fluctuation in tomatoes, onions and potatoes.

Sources said the state government is considering seeking transport subsidy under the central scheme for state onion growers to sell especially stored onions in consuming states.

It is also working on ex-gratia grant to compensate the affected growers.

Onion prices have come under pressure in Maharasthra because of huge arrival of both stored onions as well as fresh kharif crop at a time.

The wholesale price for stored onions is quoting lower owing to poor quality, while the fresh kharif crop is fetching at around Rs 10 per kg, as per the official data.

“In November, 50 per cent of the onion that arrived in wholesale mandis in the state comprised largely stored onions. The price quoted was between Rs 3.50 and Rs 4 per kg, which has created unrest among farmers,” another source said.

There is higher quantity of stored onions in the state as farmers had increased area under the crop during the rabi season of the 2017-18 crop year in anticipation of better prices, the source added.

Adding to the crisis is that the kharif onion output in the ongoing 2018-19 crop year (July-June) is expected to be more or less at the last year’s level of 19 lakh tonne in Maharasthra.

Historically, onions are the most nightmarish vegetable for politicians and have played a key role in shaping election results since 1980s. In the past, many governments have fallen due to onion crisis.

The BJP was winning elections after elections ever since the Narendra Modi-led BJP stormed to power at the Centre in May 2014. The loss of power to the main opposition Congress in three major Hindi heartland states — Madhya Pradesh, Rajasthan and Chhattisgarh — was a first major defeat of the saffron party ever since Modi took over as the Prime Minister.

8 lakh fake beneficiaries identified in Maha anganwadis: WCD

By

Web Team

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December 16, 2018

As many as 8 lakh fake beneficiaries have been found registered across 1.09 lakh anganwadis in Maharashtra, the Women and Child Development Ministry has said.

A senior WCD official said a total of 61 lakh beneficiaries registered in these anganwadis and of them 8 lakh names were fake.

Anganwadis or rural childcare centres were set up by the government to combat undernutrition and stunting among children below the age of six years. The anganwadis also give nutritious food to lactating mothers.

“The ghost beneficiaries were identified after registration of beneficiaries with Aadhaar,” the official said.

The ministry gives Rs 4.8 and the state contributes Rs 3.2 for food per day for every child, the official said.

The identification and elimination of fake beneficiaries registered in various anganwadis across the country are an “ongoing process”.

The process was started in July after the Assam government during a physical identification of children found 14 lakh fake beneficiaries.

In Uttar Pradesh, over 14 lakh “fake children” have been found registered across 1.88 lakh anganwadis in Uttar Pradesh.

Stating that many lapses have been found in the food distribution system, WCD Minister Maneka Gandhi had directed all state governments to verify the number of children who “really need to be fed”.

There are around 14 lakh anganwadis across the country and 10 crore beneficiaries, which include children under the age of six and pregnant women and lactating mothers.

In September, Gandhi had said about one crore fake beneficiaries registered in various anganwadis have been identified and eliminated.

The identification of fake beneficiaries is also being done through smartphones having Integrated Child Development Services-Common Application Software (ICDS-CAS) app.

It has been distributed to about 1.2 lakh anganwadi centres and the ministry aims to increase its coverage to 14 lakh centres by the end of the year, officials said.

The nutrition monitoring app has been developed under the Poshan Abhiyan, also called the National Nutrition Mission, which aims to bring down stunting of children in the age group of 0-6 years from 38.4 per cent to 25 per cent by 2022.