The Comptroller and Auditor General has slammed Army authorities for the poor quality of food items supplied to troops deployed in operational areas of Jammu and Kashmir and the Northeast, noting that food items were given past their ‘expiry date’ says a New Indian Express article.
Pointing at the poor supply chain management of rations in the Army, the top auditor in its report tabled in Parliament on Tuesday stated very low level of troop satisfaction regarding the quantity, quality and the taste of ration, including low quality of meat and fresh vegetables. As many as 68 per cent of feedback received were graded satisfactory and below, the CAG said.
“Army continues to consume ration, even after the expiry of original shelf life,” the CAG revealed.
Army spends over `1,500 crore annually for the procurement of dry and fresh rations, including rice, wheat, dal, sugar, tea, oil, tinned items, vegetables, fruits, meat and milk to feed its 1.3 million personnel.
The CAG pointed out that despite Parliament Accounts Committee submitting its detailed report in 2011 to improve and streamline the supply chain management of ration in the Indian Army, it implemented only two out of 12 recommendations.
The Comptroller and Auditor General (CAG) has pointed out that the process of procurement of fresh ration is non-competitive in northern, western and southern commands, resulting in poor quality of rations with higher rates.
The full requirement of rations was not being met by the Army Purchase Organisation, leading to local purchase by supply depots at higher rates and “a single vendor situation created the risk of cartels taking advantage of the lacunae in the system of purchases,” the auditor stated. The lack of competition was visible as abnormal variations in the local market rate and the rates accepted by the Army persisted, the report added.
The CAG noticed wide variation in the receipt of fruits and vegetables in the prescribed proportion in the Western and Eastern command.
During a field audit of selected units and scrutiny of documents related to receipt and consumption of fruits and vegetables fresh, it was observed that units did not receive fruits and vegetables according to prescribed mix.
The CAG also noted that lack of coordination between the ministry and Army headquarters led to over-purchase of certain items.
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Feature image courtesy www.youthkiawaaz.com
