Midday meal scam hits district administration

BOKARO: Two scams in two weeks is definitely a matter of embarrassment for the district education department.
After the Rs 40-lakh scholarship scam, the department is in a spot over irregularities in midday meal at government schools in Chandankyari block which were reported on Thursday and an FIR was lodged in connection with this.
The FIR was lodged against peon Manoranjan Mitra on charges of misappropriation after an inquiry by the block education officer of Chandankyari.Mitra is absconding.
Purendera Vikram Sahi, Bokaro deputy superintendent of education (DSE), said 627.7 of 7,271.63 quintals of rice allotted to 259 schools in 2012-13 were missing from the block storehouse. Sahi brought the scam to the notice of DC Aarva Rajkamal, who ordered legal action.
The scam came to light when government auditors were checking details of rice stock. After verification, the education department confirmed the irregularity.
"We found that Mitra, who is responsible for taking care of the rice storehouse, is behind the scam and lodged FIR against him," said Sahi. Naresh Kumar, OC at Chandankyari police station, said they have taken up investigation of the case.
The scholarship scam was reported last week. Though the initial amount was pegged at Rs 8 lakh, police suspect it can be as huge as Rs 40 lakh. Here, the money sanctioned by the state welfare department to for SC/ST students in schools was siphoned off by officials using fake bank accounts.