Mangalore: Unfair action on date-barred nutritious food packets - DYFI

The district unit of the Democratic Youth Federation of India (DYFI) has alleged that the Women and Child Welfare Department has failed to take action against a top official involved in the supply of date-barred nutritious food packets to poor pregnant women.

Muneer Katipalla, president of the district unit of the DYFI, told presspersons that the department was soft on its Deputy Director in Mangalore, A. Shakuntala, but had suspended Bantwal Child Development Project Officer Usmaan. Mr. Katipalla said that the department should have punished Ms. Shakuntala, not just her subordinates. The district unit of the DYFI exposed the supply of food packets that had crossed the expiry date in May.

Condemning the action taken against Mr. Usmaan, who received his suspension letter last Wednesday, Mr. Katipalla said that it was stated in the letter that Mr. Usman was being suspended for purchasing excess food and not for supplying the date-barred food to anganwadi centres. The suspension of the official was based on a report submitted to higher officials by Ms. Shakuntala.

The report spoke only about the food purchased in March and not April, he said and added that the CDPOs were asked to purchase the food for April in advance , as there was no budget allocation for April. Mr. Usmaan, who complied with this, was made a scapegoat in the scam, Mr. Katipalla said.

(Courtesy : The Hindu)