Nitish govt returned Rs 463 crore midday meal funds to Centre

Patna,(BiharTimes): After the Saran tragedy in which 23 school-kids died reports of criminal negligence and callousness on the part of the Nitish Kumar government in Bihar are coming out in the media. Nothing can be more shocking than the news that the government, early in 2012, returned Rs 462.78 crore to the Centre meant to build midday meal kitchens and buy utensils to serve cooked meals to children. What is more tragic is that the money was returned after being with the state government for five long years. In this period no one bothered to tender contracts or buy utensils.

The fund returned by the state government was meant to maintain proper hygiene and preparation of food in secure environment. Had this been done perhaps the lives of 23 school children may not have been lost.

According to documents available with the Times of India (New Delhi not Patna edition), the director of the midday meal scheme of Bihar government returned Rs 462.78 crore to the Centre as the department was unable to spend it.

The report said the money was allotted between 2006-‘07 and 2009-‘10, and probably lay idle in banks till early 2012. A senior official told the daily that it was very “unusual” for the states to return money to the Centre and that too for this purpose.

The Nitish government reportedly decided to return the amount to the Centre after auditors had raised objection over the state government’s practice of sitting on money, meant for various schemes, kept in fixed deposits and other banking institutions.

It is surprising how the entire amount lay idle from 2006 to 2010. It could be because of the complexity of doling out individual contracts for kitchens and utensils in hundreds of schools across the state. Or it may well be a case of usual government apathy, the daily asked.

The state government showed great alacrity in returning Rs 462.78 crore to the Centre once the trend of funds meant for various schemes, such as mid-day meal and hospitals, being parked in banks became known.

The state government seems to have also had a lackadaisical approach towards spending in the education sector, according to details available of funds meant for other education schemes.

The report said that a case in point is Rs 206.98 crore belonging to Bihar Madhyamik Shiksha Parishad (BMSP) and Bihar State Education Infrastructure Development Corporation Limited was lying in bank accounts till as late as March 2012. The BMSP also had Rs 41.76 crore lying in other bank accounts. The BMSP (secondary wing) had Rs 85.75 crore lying idle in its accounts as of March 2012.