While confirming numerous financial irregularities in conduct of the National Rural Health Mission through the office of the Chief Medical Officer of Lucknow during 2009-11,the CBI has complained to the High Court that government officials and certain PSUs of the Uttar Pradesh government are not cooperating in its investigations. In an affidavit submitted in the Allahabad High Court last week,the CBI has specifically mentioned the Kanpur-based Uttar Pradesh Small Industries Corporation Ltd,and the office of the Director General of Family Welfare in Lucknow. On July 27,the court had asked the CBI to investigate two cases of fraud in Lucknow CMOs office which surfaced after the murder of CMO Dr B P Singh,and sought a report in three months. The CBI filed the affidavit last week in the High Court detailing the progress of the investigation,along with a request for three more months. The CBI also sought that the state government be told to make available the documents required. The agency has stated that huge funds were allocated by the State Health Society to the Director General (Family Welfare) and these funds were spent through PSUs for procurement of medicines and equipment,and for civil construction work,information,education and communication campaigns across the state,including Lucknow district. The agencys report also talks of payments being made to hire manpower and vehicles on fictitious bills from the office of the Chief Medical Officer of Lucknow,as well as for fictitious cataract operations. Among those who allegedly approved these irregular payments were former CMO A K Shukla and former Deputy CMO Y S Sachan,who functioned as CMO for several months and later died in jail under suspicious circumstances. Both Shukla and Sachan were named as accused in the two cases of fraud. The CBI said the Director General (Family Welfare) and PSUs have been reluctant to make available the necessary documents. Uttar Pradesh Small Industries Corporation Ltd,it told court,is not providing documents regarding the purchase of medicines and equipment worth Rs 49.44 crore. Meanwhile,despite government assurances,officials are not providing documents to teams from the office of the Comptroller and Auditor General (CAG) of India which are conducting audit of the NRHM in UP. For the second time in a month,Principal Accountant General (Civil Audit) Mukesh P Singh has written to Chief Secretary Anoop Mishra,complaining of lack of cooperation. What the CBI found * The office of the CMO paid M/S Om Raj Enterprises Rs 26.76 lakh in 2009-10 and Rs 46.86 lakh in 2010-11 for vehicles and ambulances on hire. The CBI checked 41 vehicles and ambulances. Owners of 35 stated that they had not given their vehicles to M/S Om Raj Enterprises for plying on commercial basis. As many as 16 vehicles were actually found to be two-wheelers. Bogus bills regarding use of 41 vehicles had been cleared for payment by Dr A K Shukla,Dr Y S Sachan,Dr Neelima Singh (District Health Education and Information Officer),and Chandrajeet Yadav (District Administrative Officer). * M/S Omega Securities Services was paid Rs 60.23 lakh in 2009-10 and Rs 58.15 lakh in 2010-11 for supply of manpower. On checking records of December 2010,the CBI found that a payment of Rs 5.91 lakh was made on the basis of false attendance registers. The payment was approved by Chandrajeet Yadav and Dr Sachan. In January 2011,a payment of Rs 5.91 lakh was approved for services of 154 personnel as against 136 personnel provided in the Programme Implementation Plan 2010-11. The bill was passed by Dr Kamal Kumar Saxena,District TB Officer,and Dr Sachan on the basis of false attendance registers. * Sixty of the 191 people on whom an organisation named Gomti Bahu Udaysayesay Sansthan claimed to have conducted cataract operations in Kakori police station area were bogus. Similarly,93 of the 97 persons on whom cataract operations were conducted under Gusaiganj police station were bogus.
