The Uttar Pradesh government on late Monday night constituted seven committees to look into the financial irregularities into the National Rural Health Mission (NRHM). Notably, the committees would work in addition to two other agencies - audit teams constituted by the health department and CB-CID, working for the same cause.
When asked to comment on the need for these committees, chief secretary, Anoop Mishra said, "There was need to get into the specifics of the case. And these committees would be working towards the same."
Each of these committees is headed by a senior bureaucrat, who would scan the files to zero in on who is behind the possible embezzlement of central funds. Director, information, Prashant Trivedi has been asked to scan the expenditure of fund over publicity and IEC activities, while transport commissioner was told to will look into purchase of vehicles. Similarly, commissioner food and drug administration has been delegated the task of examining the process and outcomes of purchase of drug. In a project, the health department was to get RO water purifiers for all government hospitals. But it could not take off so managing director, Jal Nigam AK Srivastava will investigate the purchase of water purifiers.
A secretary-ranked officer in health and family welfare department will find out the gaps in procurement of instruments from UP State Industrial Development Corporation, while Chairman, Board of Revenue would scrutinise utilisation of fund on national programmes. The seventh probe relates to quality of construction work in hospitals and health centres. This would be conducted by divisional commissioners.
No specific time frame has been given for submission of the reports. However officials say that the committees have been asked to work speedily.
As reported in: http://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/city/lucknow/Seven-teams-formed-to-expose-financial-irregularities-in-NRHM/articleshow/9204287.cms