Scam-hit UP must make NRHM details public on website

In order to make the system more transparent under the National Rural Health Mission in scam-hit Uttar Pradesh, the Government of India has made it mandatory for the state government to disclose several important aspects of the mission on the state's NRHM website.

The instruction is a part of mandatory requirements from the state in order to release the funds of the mission by the Centre. The instructions came along with the approval to UP's Rs 2670.46-crore Project Implementation Plan earlier this month.

"The state must ensure due diligence in expenditure and observe, in letter and spirit, all rules, regulations, and procedures to maintain financial discipline and integrity, particularly with regard to procurement," said the GoI instructions to the state NRHM. The Centre has also instructed the state to ensure competitive bidding and "only need-based procurement" under NRHM.

After the NRHM scam was unearthed in the state, it was found that several procurements and construction work under the mission were undertaken without competitive bidding.

Among the main disclosures made mandatory by the GoI, the state government has been asked to put up on website all procurements made under NRHM. These would include the specifications and details of equipments and other items purchased by NRHM funds.

The details of all contractual staff engaged under the mission are also to be put up online.

Further, the details of all buildings under construction or renovation under NRHM, along with their names, cost, executing agency and execution charges, date of start and expected date of completion of the construction or renovation will be put up on state website.

The Centre has also instructed the state to put up on the website the total number of Mobile Medical Units used under NRHM, along with their details and service delivery data, on a monthly basis, besides the details of patient transport ambulances and emergency response ambulances, and service delivery data, including clients served and kilometres logged, on a monthly basis.

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