Serious irregularities have been discovered in the supply of wheat and rice for school meals in Kota, Rajasthan. A total of 3213 quintals of grain crops failed to reach the schools from the state warehouse. According to the investigation, a transport company from Gujarat is accused of misappropriating these products.
The value of the missing products is estimated at approximately 81 lakh rupees according to government prices, while on the open market, it ranges from 1 to 1.10 crore rupees. A criminal case was initiated at the Nyapura police station based on a complaint from the Supply Department.
This incident relates to the distribution of wheat and rice intended for feeding children in Kota's government schools. The products were allocated under the National Nutrition Support Program for the second quarter, covering July to September 2026. Despite the entire volume of products being collected from the warehouse, complaints began to surface regarding insufficient supplies for school meals.
The collection of products from Central Warehouse No. 1 in Kota took place from July 14 to July 21. Responsibility for transportation was assigned to the company Messers Bhairavnath Roadways, located in Himmatnagar, Gujarat. The firm was issued a work order for delivery at a rate of 32 rupees and 6 paise per quintal.
Following continuous appeals from schools, the Ministry of Education conducted an inspection of the block-wise distribution and verified the delivered products. It was found that the schools did not receive 1844 quintals of wheat and 1369 quintals of rice, totaling 3213 quintals of missing grain.
According to the department's assessment, the cost of the missing grain is about 81 lakh rupees at the official price, whereas the market value is estimated between 1 and 1.10 crore rupees. Corresponding actions have been initiated due to the discrepancy between the full collection of products from the warehouse and the actual delivery to the schools.
Rup Singh Mina, Director of Education (Headquarters), stated that despite adequate product stock, continuous complaints were received from schools about the shortage of rations for school meals. Subsequently, reports were requested from all CBSEO heads. These reports revealed a discrepancy between the quantity taken from the warehouse and the quantity delivered to the schools. He also noted that the Education Department constantly sends letters to the Supply Department, and there are record slips for the products provided to the schools.
After discovering the violations, the Supply Department sent a notification to the owner of the transport company, Narayarlal Shankar Lal Khatik, and his employee Shailendra Sharma, demanding an explanation by October 14. A response was requested by the morning of October 15, but no reply was received within the stipulated time. Consequently, the Supply Department filed a complaint with the Nyapura police station. The police registered the case under sections 318(4), 316(2), 316(3), and 61(2)(a) of the Indian Code of Justice (BNS). Police are currently investigating why the grain taken from the warehouse was not delivered to the schools and what role individuals involved in the alleged violation played.
The non-delivery of food supplies to schools despite the complete collection of grain from the warehouse casts doubt on the entire food distribution system. The police are now investigating this shortage of wheat and rice allocated for the second quarter from July to September 2026. The investigation will determine where the 3213 quintals of grain went during transportation and who is responsible for this incident. Currently, the police continue to act based on the case materials against the transport company from Gujarat.