Rejecting mid-day meal scheme report, Bengal calls JRM 'motivated'

The West Bengal government on Wednesday dismissed the allegations of 'over-reporting' made in Joint Review Mission's (JRM) report on alleged mid-day meal irregularities. State education minister Bratya Basu called the JRM 'motivated' and said it was functioning like a 'central agency'.

However, the state admitted the allegations about fund diversion from the mid-day meal fund for paying compensation in the Birbhum fire incident mentioned in the report. The state department claimed the fund was immediately replaced.

A Centre-state Joint Review Mission's report on the PM Poshan scheme in West Bengal has raised concern over 16 crore midday meals worth "more than '100 cr" being "over-reported" by the state between April and September last year and fund diversion has been allegedly reported in a fire incident in Birbhum.

Clarifying about the "over-reporting" in the JRM report, T K Adhikari, Project Director- State Cooked Mid-Day Meal Scheme, told mediapersons today, "There is no 'over-reporting' by the state."