Bhubaneswar, March 17: The Orissa government today admitted lapses in the supply of pulses under the mid-day meal (MDM) scheme and the supplementary nutrition programme (SNP).

“We have to admit that we have failed to streamline the mechanism for monitoring quality of the dal supplied under the schemes,” said women and child development minister Prafulla Samal while replying to an Opposition-sponsored motion on the dal scam in the Assembly.

He, however, refuted the Opposition charge that chief minister Naveen Patnaik was involved in the scam.

Samal said the chief minister had ordered vigilance probe into the allegations about supply of substandard pulses in five districts and the government had registered criminal cases against 32 erring officials and unscrupulous suppliers.

The Opposition members, however, apprehended that the vigilance probe would not be impartial since the investigating agency was under direct control of the chief minister.

Opposition chief whip Prasad Harichandan said Naveen had revised the ceiling on purchase price of arhar dal to be supplied under the MDM scheme to Rs 75 per kg as against the market price of Rs 56 per kg. He had also ordered for change over to arhar dal from mung dal, he said.

The government had also engaged private contractors for supply of raw materials under the scheme, defying directive of the Supreme Court and the high court, said Harichandan.

“This government has played with the lives of schoolchildren and pregnant women by supplying substandard and poisonous pulses. Chief minister should own responsibility. He has sacked more than a dozen ministers on corruption charges to save his skin,” said Leader of the Opposition Bhupinder Singh.

Moreover, the Opposition members accused the government of shielding higher officials, including district collectors, who had been directly responsible for supply of pulses. “Why have criminal cases not been registered against any district collector,” asked independent member Pratap Sarangi.

Samal said chargesheet would be filed against higher officials if they were found guilty in the vigilance probe.

He told the House that the government had decided to decentralise the procurement process from April 1.

Bhubaneswar, March 17: The State government today admitted in the Assembly lapses in the supply of pulses under the mid-day meal scheme and supplementary nutrition programme.

“We have to admit that we have failed to streamline the mechanism for monitoring the quality of dal supplied under the above schemes”, said Women and Child Development Minister, Prafulla Samal while replying to an Opposition-sponsored motion on the Dal scam.

Samal, however, rubbished the Opposition allegation that chief minister, Naveen Patnaik was involved in the Dal scam.

Opposition Congress and BJP members staged walk out as the minister rejected their demand for probe by CBI or a House Committee of the assembly.

Samal said the chief minister had ordered vigilance probe into the allegations about supply of substandard pulses in five districts and the government had registered criminal cases against 32 erring officials and unscrupulous suppliers.

The Opposition members, however, apprehended that the vigilance probe would not be impartial, since the investigating agency was under direct control of the chief minister himself

Opposition chief whip, Prasad Harichandan claimed that the chief minister had revised the ceiling on purchase price of arhar dal to be supplied under the midday meal scheme to Rs 75 per kg as against the market price of Rs 56 per kg. He had also ordered for change over to arhar dal from mung dal, he added.

The government had also engaged private contractors for supply of raw materials under the midday meal scheme, defying the directive of the Supreme Court and High Court, alleged Harichandan.

“This government has played with the lives of school children and pregnant women by supplying substandard and poisonous pulses. Chief Minister should own up responsibility who has sacked more than a dozen ministers on corruption charges to save his skin”, demanded Leader of Opposition, Bhupinder Singh.

The Opposition members also accused the government of shielding higher officials including the district collectors, who were directly responsible for the supply of sub-standard and spurious pulses. “ Why criminal cases have not been registered against any district collector”, asked independent member, Pratap Sarangi.

Minister, Samal said chargesheet would be filed against higher officials if their crimila laibility was found during the course of vigilance probe.

He informed the House that the government had decided to decentrailise the procurement process from April 1.