The Punjab Congress on Tuesday alleged that food items for the Mid-day Meal Scheme were being procured at inflated prices, causing a loss to the state exchequer.Party spokesman Tina Chaudhary also alleged that the private companies hired to supply raw material for the scheme were providing substandard food items, endangering the health of poor children.She further alleged that the companies awarded contracts had “identical addresses and submitted their bids on the same day at almost the same time, indicating large-scale collusion and a major scam”.“The entire matter appears to be a scam worth thousands of crores of rupees,” she said, seeking strict action against the four companies that had been awarded the contracts.The Congress spokesperson said during the Congress government, panjiri was prepared using desi ghee and supplied at approximately Rs 91–92 per kilogram, whereas the current government supplied low-quality panjiri made with refined oil.“Despite its lower production cost, it was procured at higher prices, clearly indicating corruption and commission-based practices,” she said. She alleged that over the past several years, the supply of substandard food by companies had resulted in more than 50 per cent of children suffering from malnutrition, adversely affecting their physical development.