【Introduction】
"The people are the foundation of the state, and the state is solid." - "Left Biography"
In traditional Chinese culture, people's livelihood has always been the foundation of national stability. However, a recent report by the Audit Office revealed a shocking incident: between 2021 and August 2023, 66 counties embezzled 1.951 billion yuan of student nutrition meal subsidy funds to repay local debts and other expenditures. This not only violates the ancient adage of "governing the country and benefiting the people", but also directly harms the health rights and interests of rural students.
【The beginning and end of the event】
On June 25, 2024, the National Audit Office released a report on the audit of the implementation of the central budget and other fiscal revenues and expenditures in 2023. The report details that the audit work covered 159 counties in 13 provinces, and focused on the review of the nutrition improvement plan for rural compulsory education students from 2021 to August 2023, involving a total of 23.137 billion yuan in subsidies, accounting for 91% of the total amount of subsidies in the selected counties in the same period. This review process is like a sharp sword aimed at those who seek to erode the state's policies to benefit the people.
【Details of misappropriation of funds】
According to the report, 66 counties have misappropriated a total of 1.951 billion yuan of nutritious meal subsidy funds to alleviate the financial crisis of local governments, of which the "three guarantees" (to ensure basic people's livelihood, wages, and operating expenses) have become the main destination of funds. 41 counties and 1,533 schools have intercepted and squeezed 270 million yuan in disguised form by lowering feeding standards and fictitious procurement operations. What's more, the education departments of 5 counties joined hands with the bid-winning suppliers to withdraw 42.1602 million yuan through dividends, donations and other forms for the distribution of benefits.
[Illegal operation and regulatory loopholes]
The audit report also revealed that 147 suppliers and some school canteens were operating in violation of regulations, and the quality of meals was greatly compromised and shoddy. At the same time, 52 suppliers in 25 counties were identified to provide meals to 2,605 schools through improper means, and 78 enterprises or individuals won bids for 101 nutritious meal projects in 35 counties through illegal means. Regulatory powers have been abused, and some supervisors have been suspected of bending the law for personal gain, putting their personal interests above the health of students.
【Problems in the field of rural revitalization】
The audit report not only focuses on the field of education, but also provides an in-depth analysis of the problems in rural revitalization. 4,232 projects and 47.921 billion yuan of funds in 73 key counties in 11 provinces were reviewed, and it was found that 23,600 people were not included in the scope of investigation in 16 counties, and 649 people's assistance records were falsely reported. In addition, the social capital party owed 213 million yuan in arrears to farmers in land transfer fees, swept away 18.4365 million yuan of farmers' investment, and maliciously purchased 5.6064 million yuan of agricultural products at a lower price, seriously damaging the interests of farmers.
[Audit Commission's Recommendations and Follow-up]
In the face of these problems, the Audit Commission put forward serious recommendations, calling for the implementation of the "people-centered" development philosophy, strengthening the responsibility of financial investment, and strengthening the construction of rural infrastructure and basic public services. The Audit Commission will also continue to monitor and report on the comprehensive rectification by the end of the year, with the aim of forming a deterrent and avoiding the "broken window effect" through the investigation and exposure of typical cases.
Core problem 1: The subsidy funds for nutritious meals for rural students are misappropriated and used in violation of regulations
Analysis and summary: "The people are the foundation of the state, and the state is solid." "The ancient admonition of "The Song of the Five Sons" reminds us that the people are the cornerstone of the country, and only when the foundation is stable can the country and the people be safe. The misappropriation of funds for subsidized nutritious meals for rural students is a departure from the "people-oriented" thinking, undermines educational equity, and weakens the foundation of rural development. This behavior not only violates financial and economic discipline, but also harms children's right to health and affects the long-term development of the country.
"At noon on hoeing day, sweat drops into the soil. Who knows that Chinese food is hard work. Li Shen's poem "Compassion for Peasants" expresses the hardships of peasants' labor and the preciousness of grain. The misappropriation of funds for students' nutritious meals and ignoring the "hard work of every grain" is disrespectful to the hard work of farmers and a disregard for the healthy growth of the next generation.
Core problem 2: There are problems with the quality of food supply and the supervision mechanism
Analysis and summary: "The friendship between gentlemen is as light as water, and the friendship between villains is sweet." This sentence in "Zhuangzi Shanmu" is a metaphor for the pure and immaculate interaction between gentlemen, while the relationship between villains is full of interests. Problems such as illegal operation and regulatory loopholes of food supply units are the embodiment of "petty friends", reflecting the weakness of the regulatory mechanism and the lack of effective supervision and restraint, which have led to the abuse of power and corruption.
"After picking a hundred flowers into honey, for whom is it hard and for whom is it sweet?" Luo Yin's poem "Bee" uses the toil of bees to collect nectar, which is a metaphor for the phenomenon of hard work but not getting the rewards it deserves. The illegal operation of the catering unit is like "picking a hundred flowers into honey", but it fails to let the students taste the real "sweetness", but allows the power rent-seekers to profit from it.
Core problem 3: Misuse and mismanagement of funds in rural revitalization projects
Analysis and summary: "The affairs of the world are not difficult to legislate, but difficult to enforce. This sentence in the Book of Shang Jun pointed out that it is not difficult to make laws, but it is difficult to ensure that the laws are strictly enforced. The misuse and mismanagement of funds in rural revitalization projects reflects the lack of implementation and the failure to "implement the law", which has led to a significant reduction in the effectiveness of policies and harmed the interests of farmers.
"The spring breeze is proud, and you can see all the Chang'an flowers in one day." Meng Jiao's "After Dengke" depicts the joy after the middle lift, but the use of this sentence here to contrast the prosperity that should be seen in the rural revitalization project does not appear. The abuse of funds and poor management, like a spring breeze before the spring breeze, made the "Chang'an flower" fail to bloom, the expectations of farmers were disappointed, and the beautiful vision of rural revitalization was difficult to realize.
These three core issues together point to systemic deficiencies in government fund management, project implementation, and regulatory mechanisms, which seriously affect the achievement of policy objectives and the well-being of citizens. The Audit Commission has put forward a series of targeted recommendations, including strengthening the responsibility for financial investment, strictly investigating and dealing with financial and economic discipline issues, ensuring the safety of people's livelihood funds and improving rural infrastructure, etc., with the aim of fundamentally solving these problems, ensuring the rational use of public resources, and safeguarding the legitimate rights and interests of the people.
【Conclusion】
"Cang Liao knows etiquette and knows honor and disgrace when he has enough food and clothing." - "Pipe Herdsman"
The problems revealed in this audit report are not only a warning to local officials, but also a call to society as a whole. We hope that through strict legal supervision and the joint efforts of all sectors of society, we can ensure that every cent of the subsidy funds truly benefits every child in need, so that the future of rural areas will be brighter and the foundation of the country will be more solid.
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