The Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) has registered five Preliminary Enquiries (PEs) relating to alleged irregularities in the funds allotted to the National Rural Health Mission (NRHM) in Uttar Pradesh since its inception in 2005-06, CBI spokesperson said here on Saturday.
The PEs were registered on the directions of the Allahabad High Court's Lucknow Bench.
They pertain to civil works of Director-General (Family Welfare), procurement of medicines and equipments and information, education and communication of Director-General (Family Welfare), Director-General (Medical Health) and Director (Training), State Health Society, State Innovation in Family Planning & Project Agency (SIFPSA), IEC Bureau, King George Medical University (KGMU) and the United Nations Office for Project Services (UNOPS) and Others, and funds allocated to Chief Medical Officers (CMOs) of 72 districts of the State.
A Special Investigation Team (SIT) has been constituted comprising 26 investigating officers, including five Superintendents of Police under the overall supervision of Additional Director, Joint Director and two Deputy Inspectors General. The investigation team will be assisted by experts from banking, accountancy, engineering works and computer forensics and officers dealing with NRHM scheme in the Union Health and Family Welfare Ministry.
The NRHM funds to the tune of about Rs. 10,000 crore were allocated to U.P. for 2005-06 till date by the Union Health and Family Welfare Ministry. It was spent through 72 CMOs and other nodal offices all over the State under various schemes approved by the Central government. A number of works were executed through several State PSUs and large number of contractors/firms.
The CBI has been asked to complete the enquires in four months.
In April this year, Babu Singh Kushwaha resigned as Uttar Pradesh's Family Welfare Minister taking moral responsibility for the scam involving misappropriation of NRHM funds in the office of Lucknow's CMO — a racket that was exposed after the murder of incumbent B.P. Singh.
The rot in NRHM allegedly is widespread and runs much deeper. A review of the NRHM in U.P., conducted in May by a team of officials from the Centre, has revealed a number of wrongdoings in the period between 2009 and 2011.
