Bhubaneswar: All Collectors have been instructed to initiate immediate action against Self Help groups (SHG) for producing sub-standard Take Home Ration (THR) Chhatua under the Supplementary Nutrition Programme (SNP), while show cause notice has been issued to as many as 125 SHGs, informed Deputy Chief Minister and Minister of Women and Child Development Prabhati Parida in the Assembly today. 

Responding to BJD MLA Kalikesh Narayan Singh Deo's query on steps taken by the Government following the report by the State Food Testing Laboratory which found the THR Chhatua samples substandard and unsafe, Parida said strict action has been initiated against SHGs and show cause notice issued to 125 groups. Apart from that, show cause notice has also been issued to as many as 42 Child Development Project Officers (CDPO) and 15 lady supervisors (11 in Koraput and 4 in Gajapati) with salary of CDPO withheld in Subarnapur, she responded with regard to measures taken by the Government to hold field officials accountable.

Five SHGs were also disengaged with one each in Balasore, bargarh and Subarnapur districts and two in Jharsuguda. Penalty was imposed on 10 SHGs in Jharsuguda and four in Cuttack district. Maximum show cause notices were issued to SHGs in Rayagada district (14) followed by Koraput (11). 

Besides, all Collectors have been directed to take strict and immediate action against all SHGs found producing poor quality Chhatua, the Deputy CM answered.