A major irregularity involving the mid-day meal supplies intended for government school children has come to light. In Kota, Rajasthan, a substantial quantity of food grains meant to reach the plates of students has mysteriously vanished in transit, sending ripples of concern through the administrative machinery. Although the entire quota of provisions was successfully cleared from the state warehouses, it never reached the designated schools in the correct quantities. When persistent complaints regarding deficient rations began pouring in from various educational institutions, officials initiated a thorough review of official records, uncovering figures that cast serious doubts on the distribution system.
Extensive Shortfall Uncovered During Departmental Audit
An intensive departmental inquiry revealed a massive discrepancy in the food grain inventory. Cross-referencing the records established that the grain delivered to schools fell drastically short of the total quantity lifted from the warehouse. The audit officially recorded a shortage of 1844 quintals of wheat and 1369 quintals of rice, bringing the total unaccounted food grain to 3213 quintals. Valued at official government rates, this missing stock amounts to approximately 81 lakh rupees, while prevailing open-market prices peg its worth between one crore and one crore ten lakh rupees. Suspicion for this distribution failure has fallen squarely on a transport firm based in Gujarat. Based on a formal complaint filed by the local food and civil supplies department, the Nayapura police station in Kota has registered an FIR, and investigators are now working to trace the destination of the massive stock.
This entire episode is linked to the food grain allocation for the second quarter spanning from July to September 2026 under the national nutrition support program. Wheat and rice were lifted at hundred percent capacity from Kota Central Warehouse Number-1 between July 14 and July 21. The responsibility of transporting these provisions to government schools across the district was assigned to a firm named M/s Bhairavnath Roadways, located in Himmatnagar, Gujarat. The firm had been issued a work order for transportation at a rate of 32.06 rupees per quintal. Once the shipments left the warehouse, school administrators began reporting short deliveries, prompting the education department to request comprehensive reports from all chief block education officers. A block-by-block reconciliation of the records with actual deliveries exposed the large deficit of 1844 quintals of wheat and 1369 quintals of rice.
Administrative Notices and Police Investigation
Roop Singh Meena, the district education officer for elementary headquarters in Kota, stated that despite the entire stock leaving the warehouse, complaints regarding reduced rations persisted. To verify the claims, reports were gathered from all block education officers to cross-check delivery slips against actual school receipts. Having established the discrepancies, the education department alerted the food department, which subsequently issued a show-cause notice on October 14 to the firm's proprietor, Narayanlal Shankar Lal Khatiq, along with authorized associate Shailendra Sharma. The respondents were directed to submit an explanation by October 15 at 10:30 AM, but failed to reply within the stipulated timeframe. Consequently, the food department lodged a formal complaint at the Nayapura police station, which has now opened a formal investigation into the matter.
