CAG team’s visit triggers political slugfest

KOLKATA: At a time when the state government is repeatedly accusing the Centre of not clearing the dues under various Central schemes, a new decision by the Narendra Modi government to send a special team of the Comptroller and Auditor General (CAG) has triggered another political slugfest between the ruling Trinamool Congress (TMC) and the BJP.

The special CAG team is scheduled to visit the state next week to examine the expenditure incurred by the state under mid-day meals in the past three years.Trinamool Congress has termed the move as an act of ‘revenge politics’ by the BJP-led Centre for losing the Bengal Assembly elections. The objective of the visit is to review the expense statements of the state government concerning the midday meal scheme in the state.According to Nabanna sources, the special team of the CAG may hold meetings with the senior officials of the state education department and finance department as well.

Sources in the education department said that the joint review committee that had recently visited various states for reviewing midday meal programmes expressed satisfaction after visiting various places.

The visit of the CAG team comes close on the heels of the recent visit by a central inspection team from the Union Education ministry to review the mid-day meal scheme. The central team also comprised representatives from UNESCO. It reviewed several parameters concerning mid-day meals, such as quantities of food grains and vegetables used in cooking.Incidentally, during her recent visit, Smriti Irani, the Union minister for child and women development, accused the state government of failing to spend Rs 260 crore for the Integrated Child Development Scheme (ICDS) and Anganwadi projects. However, it is learnt that the special CAG team’s inspection is a fallout of the report submitted by the central team.

Sources said the CAG special team would audit the expenses for the mid-day meals by the state in the wake of allegations of misuse of funds.

On the contrary, the state’s women and child development minister, Shashi Panja, claimed that the Union minister is trying to hide the fact that the Centre drastically reduced allocation under ICDS

while the disbursement of funds is delayed.