A group of children eating midday meals distributed to them at the Government Primary School at Chetna Basti in Jaipur, Rajasthan. File
| Photo Credit: The Hindu
The Anti-Corruption Bureau (ACB) in Rajasthan on Thursday (January 8, 2026) claimed to have unearthed a scam worth ₹2,000 crore involving the supply of food items to school students under the midday meal scheme during the COVID-19 pandemic.
The first information report registered by the ACB has named 21 individuals and entities as accused in the case.
The ACB has claimed that some officials of the Rajasthan State Cooperative Consumer Federation (CONFED) and the representatives of private firms had indulged in corruption and large-scale irregularities when the schools were closed during the pandemic.
The agency conducted a preliminary inquiry after receiving complaints, followed by a detailed investigation.
An ACB spokesperson said the State government had arranged for the supply of combo packs containing pulses, oil, spices and other food items to school students through CONFED during the pandemic. The material, complying with the Food Safety and Standards Authority of India (FSSAI) and Agmark standards, had to be delivered doorstep to the schools.
The ACB’s probe found that the officials associated with the scheme and CONFED allegedly changed rules in collusion to exclude eligible firms from the tender process and extended undue benefits to favoured companies. “These firms sublet the work illegally to create a network of fake suppliers and transporters,” the spokesperson said.
In several instances, the payments were released on the basis of inflated and fake bills without actual procurement or supply of goods. The scam, involving cheating, forgery and collusion, caused an estimated loss of about Rs.2,000 crore to the State exchequer, the ACB claimed.
The FIR has named the officials of CONFED and Kendriya Bhandar as well as the proprietors of private firms such as Tirupati Suppliers, Jagrat Enterprises, M.T. Enterprises and Sai Trading as the accused.
The ACB is examining the role of each accused, financial transactions, forgery of documents, and misuse of government funds. While the collection of evidence, scrutiny of records and further investigation was in progress, the ACB stated that strict action as per law would be taken against all those found guilty.
Published – January 09, 2026 04:29 am IST