Two senior bureaucrats of Uttar Pradesh including Principal Secretary Pradeep Shukla were named in a charge sheet on Tuesday in connection with alleged irregularities in the implementation of the National Rural Health Mission (NRHM) scam.
Besides Shukla, former Uttar Pradesh and Family Welfare Director General S P Ram and an official of a private firm were also listed in the charge sheet, official sources said.
The charge sheet, which was filed in Ghaziabad, is about allegedly showing favours to a private firm in a contract given by the Family Welfare department for operation of mobile units in various districts of the State.
A 1981-batch IAS officer, Shukla, who was formerly a principal secretary (Health and Family Welfare) in Uttar Pradesh, has been charged with committing irregularities in the implementation of the NRHM scheme in the state.
The CBI is investigating the over Rs 500 crore scam and the trial in some of the cases is being held on day-to-day basis.
The agency had earlier filed a charge sheet against Shukla for his alleged involvement in the irregularities in upgrading of 89 district hospitals in the state, under NRHM scheme, causing a loss of Rs 16 crore to the exchequer.
CBI awaits sanction for prosecution
Meanwhile, The CBI has been awaiting sanction for prosecution of 36 high-ranking officials whose names figure in other multi-crore scams including Hyderabad’s Emaar MGF land deal
As per the norms, sanction for prosecution has to be decided within four months time of the CBI seeking such a permission.
Of the total of 20 graft cases involving 36 officials, the highest number of requests is pending in Ministry of Personnel, Public Grievances and Pensions, which acts as nodal authority to coordinate with other departments to speed up sanction for prosecution, said a latest data by the Central Vigilance Commission (CVC), which supervises CBI probe in corruption cases. Other cases are pending in Bank of India and Industrial Development Bank of India (IDBI), State Bank of India, UCO Bank, Canara Bank, United India Insurance Company Ltd, Ministry of Shipping, Ministry of Housing Urban & Poverty Alleviation, Urban Development Ministry and Delhi Jal Board
The CVC has already sent a reminder to the departments concerned citing a Supreme Court verdict on granting sanction for prosecution of government officials charged with corruption within a maximum of four months’ time, an official said.
Citing the apex court’s order, the CVC has said, “Time limit of three months for grant of sanction for prosecution must be strictly adhered to. However, additional time of one month may be allowed where consultation is required with the Attorney General or any other law officer in the AG’s office.”
Any investigating agency has to seek prior permission from the central government before launching prosecution against officers in the rank of Joint Secretary and above.
