MP: Dead Snake Found In Nutrition Food Packet, Meant For Anganwadi Beneficiary, Probe Ordered

The shocking exposure led the acting district collector of Pandhurna Agrim Kumar to constitute a five-member committee to probe the incident, officials said.

The incident took place in the village of Karaghat Kamthi, where nutrition food packets containing premix for ‘besan’ ‘laddoos’ were supplied to the beneficiary at the local Anganwadi Centre.

Officials said that the beneficiary family received four premix food packets in the name of their one and half years old daughter on Saturday.

Three packets were already used and the family allegedly found a dead baby snake inside the fourth packet.

The incident provoked the family members and the local villagers to stage a protest at the Anganwadi Centre.

The officials concerned later intervened and pacified them by assuring suitable action in the matter.

The matter was immediately taken to the notice of the local sub-divisional officer (SDO) Alka Ekka and project officer Usha Pandhare.

According to Ms. Pandhare, the food packet was promptly seized and sealed by the food security officer.

This apart, the food packets given to another beneficiary Vandana Parate were also seized and sealed.

All these food packets were sent to the state food inspection laboratory in Bhopal for examination.

Meanwhile, the five-member probe team constituted by the acting district collector of Pandhurna visited the village and began investigation into the matter.

The district collector has issued a direction to monitor all nutrition supplies distributed across Anganwadi Centres in the district.

A show cause notice has also been issued to the child development project officer, supervisor and the concerned Anganwadi worker for negligence, officials said.

Preliminary investigation suggested that the food packets were supplied by a women cooperative group in Mandla district in Madhya Pradesh.

Mr. Kumar has asked the Mandla district administration to investigate the organization supplying the food packets, officials said.