Rediff.com« Back to articlePrint this article

CBI files first chargesheet in NRHM scam

April 03, 2012 21:43 IST

The Central Bureau of Investigation on Tuesday filed its first chargesheet in connection with alleged irregularities in the upgradation of 134 hospitals in Uttar Pradesh under the National Rural Health Mission accusing five former government officials, two companies and two others in the case.

The agency did not include the names of former family Welfare Minister Babu Singh Kushwaha, former MLA Ram Prasad Jaiswal in the chargesheet, who are also accused in the case, filed before the special court here as investigation in their roles are still pending.

CBI sources said that during the investigation they found that of every Rs 100 allocated for hospitals, nearly Rs 68 were siphonned off by officials while remaining Rs 32 were utilised in the project.

"It was revealed during investigation so far that officials of C&DS in connivance with private persons allegedly misappropriated and cheated 68 per cent of the total amount received by C&DS for the upgradation of 134 district hospitals under NRHM, thereby causing a loss of Rs 7.94 crores to the government exchequer in the case."

They said CBI will file a supplementary chargesheet giving details of alleged role of Kushwaha and others.

The agency has charged former General Manager of UP Jal Nigam's PSU Construction and Design Service P K Jain, the then Project Manager B N Srivastava, the then Resident Engineers Katar Singh, B N Ram Yadav, the then Accountant J K Singh, Managing Director of a Ghaziabad-based Company Surgicon Mediquip Pvt. Ltd and R K Singh, Proprietor of Modern Interiors under IPC sections related to cheating, forgery and criminal conspiracy besides relevant sections of Prevention of Corruption Act.

All the accused are in judicial custody. The agency has also accused companies Modern Interiors and Surgicon Mediquip Private Limited in the case.

"The case pertained to upgradation of 134 districts hospitals for an amount of Rs 13.4 crores by C&DS under NRHM. It was alleged that the work was given to Ghaziabad and Lucknow-based firms without following any codal formalities & on the basis of bogus/forged documents," CBI spokesperson said in a statement.

It alleged the work was sub-let to a Ghaziabad-based firm on the basis of bogus and forged documents. The material installed in the hospitals were found to be of inferior and sub-standard quality, CBI alleged.

The investigating agency has filed 13 cases to probe alleged irregularities in utilising Rs 10,000 crore funds allocated under the centrally-sponsored NRHM to Uttar Pradesh.