₹16 cr midday meal contract handed over without tender in Chhotaudepur, sparks controversy

A controversy has erupted in Chhotaudepur district after a ₹16 crore contract to provide meals to 8,000 children across government schools in four talukas was awarded directly to Yuvraj Catering without any tender process.

Sources said that the project administrator, Kalpeshkumar Sharma, bypassed standard government procedures to hand over the contract in Nasvadi, Kavant, Chhotaudepur, and Bodeli talukas, raising serious questions about transparency and accountability.

Yuvraj Catering secured contracts worth ₹17 crore in Dahod and Tapi districts without participating in tender processes, reportedly by leveraging political influence. In Tapi, it secured work worth ₹5 crore first, followed by a ₹12 crore contract in Dahod within three months.

Notably, the same catering agency’s contract was suspended in Limkheda, Dahod, after a food poisoning incident leading to the hospitalisation of several girl students. However, in Chhotaudepur, the contract awarded without tender remains active, with Yuvraj Catering continuing to serve meals to students.