Malkangiri: Amid allegations that stale food is being served to customers at the government Aahaar centres in Balimela NAC in Korukonda block, Collector Manish Agarwal made a surprise visit to the District Headquarters Hospital here Friday.
Agarwal examined the food served to customers and found that the allegations were true.
The Collector asked the SHG serving food at the Aahaar centre to answer the show-cause notice issued to them within three days for irregularities like low quality food, cooking food in unhygienic conditions, non-working CCTVs, irregularities in ticket distribution to customers and the absence of stock records.
The Aahaar scheme is a subsidised food programme of the government. The actual cost of the Dalma-rice meal is around Rs 20, but people pay only Rs 5. The government gives Rs 15 as subsidy per plate. The government launched this programme to help the poor.
Balimela is famous for its hydroelectric station. Labourers here depend on the Aahaar centre on which the government spends lakhs.
During his visit, some beneficiaries drew the Collector’s attention to the ‘stale food’ they were being served. They also said that during lunch time SHG members refuse to give food saying that there are no more tickets left.
The people said the money sanctioned for the Aahaar centre was being misappropriated by some middlemen. They also said that an NGO is helping the SHG to commit irregularities at the centre.
The public welcomed the Collector’s visit. They said that if the Collector checks the sanitation system too in their locality most of their problems will be solved.
PNN
