Balrampur|26 November 2025: A major financial scam has come to light in the Mid-Day Meal (MDM) scheme in Uttar Pradesh’s Balrampur district. A detailed inquiry by the Basic Education Department has revealed irregularities amounting to nearly ₹11 crore, allegedly misappropriated between 2021 and 2025. Acting on the findings, District Basic Education Officer (BSA) Shubham Shukla has lodged an FIR against 44 individuals, including District MDM Coordinator Firoz Ahmad Khan, several madrasa heads, village pradhans and headmasters of council schools. Officials believe the number of accused may exceed 100 as the investigation expands.
Complaint Triggered Audit, Portal Records Exposed Systematic Irregularities
The case surfaced after a group of schools complained to the BSA about receiving lower-than-approved conversion cost funds. Suspicious, the officer reviewed the PFMS (Public Financial Management System) portal and uncovered a pattern of questionable budget releases.
Records showed that several madrasas and schools continued receiving full MDM funds despite having very low enrolment, and in some cases, no students at all. The preliminary inquiry established that District Coordinator Firoz Ahmad had allegedly colluded with various institutions to inflate figures and divert funds.
Sources within the department indicate that the role of certain officials linked to the Sarva Shiksha Abhiyan and Samagra Shiksha Abhiyan may also be under scrutiny.
Late-Night Raids, Police Maintain Secrecy to Prevent Tip-Offs
According to senior officials, a special team was formed around 2 a.m. on Tuesday on the instructions of SP. The team conducted raids in Pachpedwa and Gaisri, detaining several individuals for questioning. By morning, rumours circulated across the district about the involvement of ATS and STF, though authorities later clarified that the operation was handled solely by the SP’s team.
District Magistrate held a closed-door meeting with the BSA, finance officers and auditors to review the probe report. By evening, orders were issued to file an FIR, but police delayed public disclosure to avoid disrupting arrests and evidence-gathering.
Five Years of Fraud Without Detection Raises Alarming Questions
One of the most troubling aspects of the scandal is that it continued undetected for five years, despite the Mid-Day Meal scheme being among the most rigorously monitored welfare programs. Key discrepancies include:
- Negligible daily attendance in many schools, yet the portal reflected full budget releases year after year.
- Conversion cost disbursed without verifying food consumption or stock records, violating mandatory norms requiring utilisation certification before any payment.
Funds released even when food grains were not lifted or consumed, indicating system-level manipulation. Officials noted that Firoz Ahmad had been posted in the district since 2008, raising suspicions that the malpractice may have predated 2021. If investigators widen the scope, food grain distribution logs, earlier budgets, and audit reports may also come under review.
Experts Point to Breakdown of Administrative Oversight
Retired Assistant Education Director Fateh Bahadur Singh termed it “a case of serious administrative failure,” stating:
“MDM is one of the Centre’s most sensitive school-linked schemes. Funds depend on the 30 September enrolment figure, and no payment is processed without the District Committee’s approval. For such a major irregularity to go unnoticed for five years reflects a deep oversight lapse.”
He added that each budget release requires utilisation certificates, mobile verification and annual audits. “If those checks were bypassed, accountability at multiple levels must be examined.”
Police: ‘Multi-Level Probe Underway; Major Revelations Expected’
SP said:
“An FIR has been registered and a multi-layered investigation is underway. Individuals detained for questioning are being examined based on documentary evidence. Arrests will follow wherever culpability is established. Given the scale of the financial irregularities, significant disclosures are anticipated.”
