World Bank team to aid Bihar food supply
A World Bank team will help the Bihar government revamp the public distribution system (PDS) to benefit the target group - the poorest segments, government sources said Wednesday.
The World Bank team is currently visiting the state.
"This is the first time that the state government has sought the help of the World Bank to study the food supply system for the poor for suggestions on attaining global standards," a senior official of the PDS department said.
The team led by Philip O'Keef, who heads the World Bank team for social welfare projects, had held discussions with top government officials.
It will submit a detailed report to the state government on how best to plug leakages in the foodgrain supply system after meeting officials, NGOs and the people.
Interestingly, even as the World Bank team plans to assist the state government, a major scam was unearthed in the distribution of foodgrains under the PDS.
It was reported that hundreds of tonnes of foodgrains meant for families in the below poverty line (BPL) segment of the state were swindled and sold in the open market between 1997 and 2002 in 30 blocks of Madhubani, Munger, Nalanda and West Champaran districts.
A probe conducted by the Investigation Bureau of the Cabinet (Vigilance) department, which submitted its report to the government last year revealed large-scale corruption and gross irregularities in the distribution of foodgrains to both the rural and urban poor.
The vigilance bureau probe was ordered after several MLAs alleged irregularities in the supply of subsidised foodgrains to the targeted population.
The report of the bureau revealed that hundreds of tonnes of foodgrains were transported from FCI godowns to the state Food Corporation godowns and from there to the PDS outlets on mopeds and motorcycles.
Chief Minister Nitish Kumar Tuesday ordered a probe into the irregularities committed in the distribution of foodgrains among the people living below the poverty line.
The World Bank team is currently visiting the state.
"This is the first time that the state government has sought the help of the World Bank to study the food supply system for the poor for suggestions on attaining global standards," a senior official of the PDS department said.
The team led by Philip O'Keef, who heads the World Bank team for social welfare projects, had held discussions with top government officials.
It will submit a detailed report to the state government on how best to plug leakages in the foodgrain supply system after meeting officials, NGOs and the people.
Interestingly, even as the World Bank team plans to assist the state government, a major scam was unearthed in the distribution of foodgrains under the PDS.
It was reported that hundreds of tonnes of foodgrains meant for families in the below poverty line (BPL) segment of the state were swindled and sold in the open market between 1997 and 2002 in 30 blocks of Madhubani, Munger, Nalanda and West Champaran districts.
A probe conducted by the Investigation Bureau of the Cabinet (Vigilance) department, which submitted its report to the government last year revealed large-scale corruption and gross irregularities in the distribution of foodgrains to both the rural and urban poor.
The vigilance bureau probe was ordered after several MLAs alleged irregularities in the supply of subsidised foodgrains to the targeted population.
The report of the bureau revealed that hundreds of tonnes of foodgrains were transported from FCI godowns to the state Food Corporation godowns and from there to the PDS outlets on mopeds and motorcycles.
Chief Minister Nitish Kumar Tuesday ordered a probe into the irregularities committed in the distribution of foodgrains among the people living below the poverty line.
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