Food for children sold as livestock: Middleman finally arrested

[Imran Khan]

Food for children sold as livestock: Middleman finally arrested

Reported by Saurabh Gupta, Written by Janaki Fernandes | Updated: July 13, 2012 12:37 IST



Food for children sold as livestock: Middleman finally arrested
Mumbai: The police have sprung into action after NDTV's expose showed how food for malnourished children in Thane district of Maharashtra was being siphoned off and sold as chicken feed.

The middleman Yashwant Thakre who was ready to sell the food to NDTV, has been arrested and charged with cheating and misappropriation. The police arrested him on Thursday night, after viewing NDTV's unedited footage that clearly shows how he was part of a nexus, that first siphoned the food supplements and then sold it in the open market as food for livestock.

This arrest comes two days after the Maharashtra government suspended an anganwadi supervisor and expelled another worker.

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Governor K Sankaranarayanan too discussed the issue with Minister of Women and Child Development Varsha Gaikwad, and other officials of the department.

An NDTV investigation in June found that middlemen - allegedly in connivance with government officials - sold the nutrition supplements meant for underprivileged children in anganwadis to poultry and dairy farms as feed for livestock. The embarrassing expose prompted the Centre to order a probe into this alarming irregularity.

The NDTV team posed as potential buyers and approached middleman Yashwant Thakre. Once the NDTV team gained his confidence, he showed the team empty packets of the supplements. The contents of the packets had been emptied into larger gunny bags and stored at his house. Mr Thakre told the NDTV team, "This comes from the government talukas. The supply that comes to the taluka, we get hold of with a little bit of adjustment. This belongs to the government. You cannot sell it outside."

Anticipating a large order, Mr Thakre gave the NDTV team samples in packets that were marked 'Not for Sale'.

Maharashtra has 95,380 functioning anganwadis. The state, with the Central government's assistance, spends Rs. 1280 crore each year on providing nutrition to children through these anganwadis. In spite of this, there are 80,586 severely underweight children in Maharashtra.

The supplements are sent to anganwadis to ensure that children from economically weaker sections of the population get enough basic nutrition. But due to an absence of proper monitoring, middlemen like Mr Thakre siphon it off to make a quick buck, and deny the children what is rightfully theirs.

Activists also say that this malpractice is not just limited to Thane but spreads across the state.

On Wednesday, Maharashtra government released malnourishment figures for the state which shockingly show that over 24,000 children died in the past one year.

According to the government, there are there are over 10 lakh malnourished children in the state, and over 1.24 lakh of these are severely malnourished. The Bombay High Court has already slammed the state for its apathy and inaction. But even as the government fights against malnutrition, middlemen, allegedly with the collusion of some government authorities, ensure that the children go hungry.



Food for children sold as livestock: Middleman finally arrested | NDTV.com

 

[Android]

Imran Bhai what has this got to do with current events and social issues of pakistan

 

[cyphercide]

What nonsense,

I can assure you that cattle is treated with far greater respect than children. If a motorcyclist hits a stray cow,rest assured the cow will be taken to a hospital(Dunno about the biker tho).

 

[hankau62]

Thanks to the media to expose the corruption at ground level. I wish media do more of these kind of journalism. This will create fear among the corrupt and will improve the system.

 

[datalibdaz]

Oh look...its another Africa just in our neighborhood...such a shame...India should spend billions on poverty reduction as 55% of it population is way way below the poverty line and not on defence..

 

[45'22']

Oh look...its another Africa just in our neighborhood...such a shame...India should spend billions on poverty reduction as 55% of it population is below the poverty line and not on defence..

iss 55% main apne pakistan ko bhi mila liya kya?
pehle khud ka terrorism ka problem solve karo phir dusro ko sikhana