CBI likely to charge another Maya minister in NRHM scam

Anant Mishra, former health minister, is likely to be named in a case related to alleged corruption in the posting of chief medical officers and district project officers, it is learnt.

Sources said former family welfare minister Babu Singh Kushwaha, former principal secretary (health) Pradeep Shukla and five others, including ex-BSP MLA Ram Prasad Jaiswal, would be Mishra's co-accused in the case. They have been named in other NRHM cases as well.

The case arose from an FIR which the CBI lodged on June 2, accusing the two ministers of influencing the posting of CMOs and DPOs of the Family Welfare Department in districts in order to facilitate award of contracts under NRHM to chosen suppliers.

The FIR alleged that, in fact, the postings were made at the instance of suppliers for which the ministers, the then principal secretary (health) and the ruling party MLA were allegedly given bribes.

Sources said the investigation in the case has been completed against former ministers Mishra and Kushwaha, ex-MLA Jaiswal, Shukla and suppliers Mahendra Pandey, Guddu Khan, Manvendra Chadha and Girish Malik.

Besides Kushwaha and Jaiswal, none of the accused is lodged in jail presently.

The CBI reportedly has recorded statements of about 90 CMOs/DPOs who allegedly admitted having paid Rs 20 to 25 lakh bribes for their posting.

Sources said the then health minister Anant Mishra, in connivance with supplier Mahendra Pandey, allegedly posted CMOs in the districts after taking bribes. These CMOs awarded major supply orders for medicines, equipment, training and construction work under NRHM programme to Pandey.

The probe has also found that the rates quoted in the tenders were hiked by the supplier 5 to 10 times more than the market rates, causing huge loss to the exchequer.

Similarly, during Kushwaha's tenure as family welfare minister, suppliers Guddu Khan, Manvendra Chadha and Girish Malik got DPOs and CMOs of their choices posted in the districts who, in turn, awarded them major contracts for supplies of medicines and surgical items.

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