Chatra: Empty packets of food supplements, provided by govt to children aged between six months and six years, were found strewn along the Pathalgada-Itkhori Road near Gangpur in the district on Sunday.
The programme, administered through anganwadi centres, targets newborns, undernourished children, and expectant and nursing mothers in villages.
Sources said the packets might have been emptied elsewhere before being discarded at this location.
“Finding thousands of packets at a single place cannot be taken lightly. A high-level investigation is needed to reveal the truth. The packets have been thrown away after black marketing the food meant for the poor," claimed Pathalgada mukhiya Kumari Sangeeta Sinha.
Simaria subdivisional officer Sunny Raj initiated an investigation at the site. The discovery occurred Sunday evening, when numerous sacks containing empty packets were found along the roadside.
The sacks, displaying the Jharkhand government logo, contained empty supplement packets, with some still containing sweet porridge and supplements. The women, child development and social security department supplies these micronutrient-fortified foods to anganwadi centres for distribution.
Sinha noted that the discarded sacks bore both Inerlink Food Private Limited Patratu Industrial Area Ramgarh's name and the Jharkhand government logo. "These packets are food supplements distributed through anganwadi centers among pregnant and lactating women as well as children between 6 months to 6 years," she explained, mentioning the manufacturing date of October 27, 2024, and expiry date of January 25, 2025.
Pathalgadda BDO Kalindra Sahu said, “SDO Sunny Raj has reached Gangpur anganwadi centre to check the stocks of the food supplements to know as to which centre these packets belonged to. Investigation will reveal the facts for taking further action.” These supplements were originally intended for free distribution amongst underprivileged communities.