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Rs 2,250-cr scam in Social Welfare dept

By Staff Reporter

GUWAHATI, Nov 2 - Expressing anguish at the unearthing of a massive anomaly of around Rs 2,250 crore at the rate of Rs 150 crore per year for the past 15 years, Chief Minister Sarbananda Sonowal today said that the government would initiate drastic action to reform the Social Welfare Department.

Chairing a review meeting of the department today at the Chief Minister�s Secretariat, Sonowal vowed to punish those guilty of siphoning off enormous sums of fund meant for the nutrition of poor children of the State, said an official press release here.

Following a directive from the Chief Minister two months back, the Social Welfare Department had started streamlining its functioning and as a result, huge irregularities have come to light, which have stalled the societal progress of the State.

In a startling revelation, the Chief Minister was apprised that nine lakh fake entries of �ghost children� were detected, which has brought to light an exaggerated figure of Rs 150 crore per year for nine lakh non-existent children. The total figure of 44 lakh beneficiary children is reduced to 35 lakh after these exposures.

Similarly 390 fake Anganwadi centres have been detected. These centres were fraudulently entered for siphoning off money. As a result of these detections, the monthly expenditure required for the Supplementary Nutrition Programme meant for mothers and children has dropped drastically.

Taking strong exception to the revelations, the Chief Minister asserted that the government would come down heavily on the perpetrators of these irregularities who have taken the people for a ride and pocketed public fund meant for the nutrition of mothers and children, predominantly belonging to the underprivileged section.

Terming them criminals of the highest order, the Chief Minister said that those functionaries of the Social Welfare Department involved in these nefarious activities along with the contractors, who have cooperated with them in the illegal deals, would be put behind the bars and exemplary punishment would be meted out to them so that no one in the future dares to cheat the common people of the State.

Noting that rampant corruption has completely stalled the service delivery of the department, Sonowal said that the highest prevalence rates of maternal mortality and infant mortality in the State are the result of these irregularities. The Chief Minister also vowed to eliminate corruption completely from the system so that faith of the people on the government remains intact.

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