According to a panel set up by the Ministry of Education, between April and September last year, local governments in West Bengal overstated that they provided around 16 million lunches worth more than 100 million rupees.

Following complaints of misconduct, the Ministry of Education (MoE) formed a Joint Research Mission (JRM) in January to investigate the implementation of the centrally funded PM POSHAN program in West Bengal. "There are serious discrepancies in the information submitted regarding the number of meals served at various levels," the Panel noted.

Around 140.25 million meals were served under the PM-Poshan program from April to September 2022, according to the First and Second State Government Quarterly Progress Reports (QPRs) filed with the Government of India.

A servant fled from a realtor's office in Gurugram with 12 rupees in cash and gold coins. “As a result, more than 16 million meals have been overreported, which is a serious problem.” “The associated material cost is Rs 100 crore,” the report said.

The team also explored state-to-school or implementing agency funding flows, program coverage, administrative structures at the state, district, and block levels, and state food grain supply mechanisms. State to school, construction of a kitchen in a store, purchase or replacement of kitchen appliances.

The Panel also found misappropriation of funds allocated to the system to compensate victims of the fire, misallocation of grain, and cooking of rice, dal, and vegetables up to 70% below the “regulatory amount”, We also asked about the use of food spice packets. and the number of children receiving these meals ranged from 60% to 85%," the report said.

Bengal Education Minister Bratya Basu previously tweeted to criticize JRM's report submission process, claiming it submitted the report without informing the state's project manager.

What exactly is the launch system?

Government of India has introduced a lunchtime meal scheme to provide free nutritious meals to economically disadvantaged school children.