Stating that there has been misappropriation of funds to the tune of ₹7.64 crore meant for depositing directly to students bank accounts through DBT under the midday meal scheme, members of Jai Karnataka demanded an inquiry into distribution of funds to officers concerned under the scheme.
Jai Karnataka district president Mallikarjun Sarwad, addressing a press conference here on Friday, said that a sum of ₹7,63,90,000 was sanctioned to midday meal officers for depositing it into students bank accounts after the scheme was stopped for a total of 50 days in May and June 2021 due to lockdown.
The funds were released to benefit 2,58,864 students of class 1 to class 8 in the district. A sum of ₹3,98,15,408 was released to benefit 1,60,546 students studying in class 1 to class 5, and ₹3,65,74,296 was released for 98,318 students of class 6 to class 8.
Each student studying in class 1 to class 5 should have got ₹248 under the scheme. And, those studying in class 6 to class 8 were to get ₹372 each.
Mr. Sarwad said that even after a year, most students in many schools have not received the amount in their bank accounts. He said that the midday meal officers and headmasters of schools were hand-in-glove in the large-scale misappropriation of funds.
