Tuesday, March 13, 2012

NRHM scam

SVO 'under pressure' to spare Minister's coterie in NRHM scam
9500 ASHA kits purchased @ ` 931 each
in 2010, @ ` 1878 in 2011

Enjoying the patronage of a Cabinet Minister, an inter-state drug mafia has been looting the UPA Government's flagship programme in health sector, National Rural Health Mission, in Jammu & Kashmir even as the authorities claim to have put in place a "fool-proof" auditing and monitoring system for the ` 1,000 Crore ambitious project. State Vigilance Organisation (SVO) has completed investigation into the Drug Kits supply scam and established the involvement of Jammu and Pune-based pharmaceutical agents but, reportedly under pressure to spare the Minister's coterie, it has not filed challan in the anti-corruption court in Jammu.According to highly placed sources in the State Government, SVO learned about large scale irregularities and embezzlements in NRHM funds over a year ago and launched a preliminary inquiry. Allegations made in a host of complaints were found true and subsequently case FIR No: 19 of 2011 under Sections 52, 51(c) Prevention of Corruption Act and 120-B Ranbir Penal Code was filed by Vigilance Organisation Jammu on 16-9-2011. It was substantiated with technical and documentary evidences that a coterie of agents, dealing in pharmaceutical business and having its network spread from Srinagar and Jammu to New Delhi and Pune, had been plundering NRHM funds with the patronage of certain politicians, including a Minister.

However, for the reasons best known to SVO, the preliminary inquiry, and later the full-fledged investigation, was restricted to only Jammu. Kashmir division was summarily excluded. Even in the FIR filed in Jammu, just one of the dozens of the accused has been mentioned by name. He is the retired Director Health Services Jammu (DHJ), Dr Ashok Kumar Sharma. Neither the Mission Director, Dr Yashpal Sharma, nor the Financial Advisors of NRHM and Directorates of Health Service in Kashmir and Jammu have been listed as the accused. This inspite of the fact that their criminal culpability in the NRHM plunder was determined with material evidences.

Even from the private operatives, just two have been mentioned by name. They are businessman Anil Lahoti, who surfaced as the 'fixer' between the drug mafia and the politicians, including a Minister, and Pune-based operative, Kamlesh Dagga---owner of Plastic Surge, Amravati, Pune. Under sustained pressure from the political executive, Jammu-based pharmaceutical dealer Ashok Sharma alias Bitta, who alleged handed the entire operation as per a Minister's instructions, has also been successfully excluded from the chargesheet. Then Director Health Services Kashmir (DHK), Dr Mohammad Amin, has also been allowed to retire and take all pension benefits, without getting him into the ambit of the investigation.

Though the investigation in Jammu division has been completed and the charges against the selective officials established, challan has not been produced in the court of anti-corruption court.

Interestingly, none other than Chief Minister Omar Abdullah happens to be the Chairman of State Rural Health Mission (SRHM) and Chief Secretary Madhav Lal stands designated as Chairman of the Governing Body of J&K State Health Society (SHS). These two apex bodies operate and regulate entire planning and execution of NRHM works in J&K.

Officials working with both, Chief Minister as well as Chief Secretary, refused to make a comment on record. Nevertheless, they invariably maintained that there was a general tendency to ignore almost all the complaints because of "numerous compulsions and constraints". When Jk News insisted to specify, they asserted that the blot of "poor performance" in NRHM and MG NREGA was already on J&K's face. "We are in the final year of NRHM's life and funds have not been spent to the satisfaction of the Centre. In absence of utilization certificates and cumulative savings, we will be forfeiting our claim on such funds generously provided by the Centre", said a middle rank bureaucrat. He, however, put the blame of the initial two years of NRHM's non-performance in J&K on the Governments of Ghulam Nabi Azad and Governor N N Vohra.

"We are not under any pressure. We have completed our investigation and would be submitting the challan in a month or so as we have yet to complete some formalities", said a senior official in SVO. He wished to be anonymous on the plea that he was not authorized to make comment on any case under investigation. He, however, confirmed that the Mission Director of NRHM and a former DHK had not been mentioned as the accused. "Our investigation does not cover the embezzlement in Kashmir division. As regards the Mission Director, let it be clear that we have mentioned unnamed officials of NRHM in the FIR. They obviously include the Mission Director and other high ups if their criminal involvement is established in our investigation", he added and refused to share exact status of the investigation.

Informed sources in the Government, however, disclosed that a coterie of officials and pharmaceutical dealers, known for their association and proximity to a Minister, has siphoned off NRHM funds at an alarming scale, particularly in the last three years. Different modus operandi have been adopted for different executions. For example, engagement of staff has been manipulated through Chief Medical Officers (CMOs). In many districts, DCs, who happen to be Chairmen of selection committees, were given a particular quota in lieu of their signatures. Corruption, nepotism and favouritism marred the merit in almost all selections.

Drug kits in large numbers were purchased through Central Public Sector Enterprises (SPSEs) ostensibly for price preference but the SPSEs acquired the drugs and instruments from either non-existing firms or those notorious for making spurious drugs. Instead of 35% discount, supplies were made only on 18% rebate.

Unprecedented hike in the prices is evident in the supplies made in 2009-10 and 2010-11. ASHA kits were purchased at ` 931 each kit in 2009-10. Within months this rate was hiked to stupendous ` 1878/- when 9500 ASHA kits were purchased in 2010-11 through SPSEs for J&K--- 4000 for Jammu and 5500 for Kashmir. Nearly 4000 Drug Kits were purchased in 2009-10. Rate of ` 3400 was paid for Drug Kits of Sub Centre 'A' and ` 1855 for Drug Kits of Sub Centre 'B'. Next year, rates for both items were hiked substantially. Payment of nearly ` 4.00 Cr was released to DHJ and DHK who, in turn, made it to selective productions firms through SBSEs. With this management, funds worth Over ` 1.50 Cr are estimated to have gone to the pockets of the Jammu and Pune-based pharmaceutical dealers enjoying support and patronage of a Minister.

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