CBI to quiz 30 district officers in NRHM case

The CBI, probing the alleged irregularities in the implementation of multi-crore National Rural Health Mission (NRHM) scam in Uttar Pradesh, is now preparing to record the statements of at least 30 district project officers appointed during Mayawati’s tenure. The agency recently recorded the statement of the former chief minister in connection with the case.

Sources said, “Investigations by the agency have revealed that around 100 district project officers (DPOs) were appointed during Ms Mayawati’s tenure in the state. It has also been found that they (DPOs) were allegedly instrumental in alleged corruption in the implementation of the NRHM schemes in UP.” The agency is now preparing to record the statements of at least 30 DPOs, they added. The multi-crore scam took place during the Mayawati regime in which Central funds for upgrading medical facilities in the state were allegedly siphoned off.

Ms Mayawati was recently questioned by the CBI to unearth larger conspiracy in the scam. The CBI has already booked former family welfare minister of UP Babu Singh Kushwaha, and then BSP MLA from Barhaj Assembly constituency (Deoria) Ram Prasad Jaiswal in connection with the scam. Mr Kushwaha and Mr Jaiswal were close confidants of Ms Mayawati. The questioning of the BSP chief was done as the probe agency claimed to have got new evidence against her on bifurcation of the health and family welfare department and creation of 100 posts of DPOs in the state.

Ms Mayawati was the chief minister of the state when the department of health and family welfare was bifurcated.

CBI alleged that the bifurcation of department was done so that the NRHM funds could be placed directly under the charge of the Department of Family Welfare which was under Minister Babu Singh Kushwaha— already charge sheeted by the agency. “It was troika of Babu Singh Kushwaha, Ram Prasad Jaiswal (former BSP MLA) and Pradeep Shukla (former secretary Health department), who had allegedly played a crucial role in finalising contracts related to the NRHM programme in the state”, sources said.

Large scale irregularities in the implementation of NRHM programme in UP came to light after two CMOs— Dr VK Arya and Dr BP Singh—were shot in Lucknow within a period of six months in 2011. Besides, Deputy CMO Sachan, who was an accused in both the murder case and NRHM irregularities in the Lucknow CMO office, was found dead in Lucknow jail in June, 2011. The agency, which has so far registered around 74 cases in the NRHM scam, is probing these three murder cases also. The alleged irregularities in utilisation of about Rs 10,000 crore of central funds allocated under the NRHM in UP, has so far claimed six lives.