₹381.41 crore ICDS funds unspent in Odisha, CAG finds

Who it concerns: Government of Odisha, specifically the Women and Child Development Department and the Mid-Day Meal Scheme administration.

What the auditor found

• Unspent balance of ₹381.41 crore under ICDS as of March 2023.
• Non-remittance of unspent MDM amount of ₹92.14 crore to the State Nodal Agency.
• Non-remittance of interest of ₹3.52 crore under MDM.
• Excess payment of ₹5.73 crore to nine Self-Help Groups (SHGs) towards supervision and processing costs.
• Delays in submission of Utilisation Certificates ranging from 9 to 123 days.
• Short delivery of wheat and rice by transport agents to Anganwadi Centres (AWCs).
• Supply of sub-standard and unsafe Take-Home Ration (THR) and Hot Cooked Meals (HCM).
• Non-distribution of Food Security Allowance (FSA) during the Covid-19 pandemic and on observation days.
• Inflated MDM consumption records compared to actual attendance registers.
• Non-functioning of smart phones and growth monitoring devices distributed to AWCs.

Also in the document

• CAG found that despite ₹5,128.95 crore being available for ICDS, ₹381.41 crore remained unspent as of March 2023.
• CAG reported that MDM funds were parked in bank accounts without being remitted to the State Nodal Agency, involving ₹92.14 crore.
• CAG noted that MDM consumption was shown in excess of actual attendance in schools.
• CAG identified that sub-standard and unsafe food items, including damaged parboiled rice, were used for meals in AWCs.