1 crore fake anganwadi beneficiaries eliminated: Maneka Gandhi

Women and Child Development (WCD) Minister Maneka Gandhi on Tuesday said that not less than one crore fake beneficiaries have been found registered in anganwadis across India and their names have been removed from the list.

As per reports, there are around 14 lakh anganwadis across the country and 10 crore beneficiaries, who include children under the age of six and pregnant women and lactating mothers.

Gandhi said the identification and elimination of fake beneficiaries is an "ongoing process", and until now officials have found and eliminated nearly one crore fake beneficiaries.

A senior official informed that the WCD ministry was compiling the details of the one crore fake beneficiaries.

About 14 lakh fake names of children were found registered in anganwadis of Assam, last month, according to Gandhi.

It may be noted that the fake names were found in a survey by the Assam government carried out in June, as part of which physical verification of the number of children present in anganwadis was done.

Following the revelation of 14 lakh fake names in Assam, Gandhi ordered all state governments to verify the number of children "really need to be fed".