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Police records statement of Mission Director on NHM multi-crore scam at Unakoti District; No arrest yet, Minister Badal Chowdhury, Dr. Mahatme talks to TIWN
TIWN
Police records statement of Mission Director on NHM multi-crore scam at Unakoti District; No arrest yet, Minister Badal Chowdhury, Dr. Mahatme talks to TIWN
PHOTO : CMO Office, Kailashahar, Unakoti District. TIWN File Photo

AGARTALA, April 11 (TIWN): No major breakthrough with the National Health Mission (NHM) Multi-crore scam care at Unakoti District, police on Friday recorded the statement of the Mission Director (NHM, North) Dr. Sandeep Mahatme, who had earlier lodged an FIR with the police against 17 Medical officers of the department after finding them engaged to misappropriation of money.Talking to TIWN on Friday evening, NHM Mission Director Dr. Sandeep Mahatme said, “The police were supposed to take my statement in regard of the case and they had been waiting for it since yesterday, but I was busy in meetings on other issues. On Friday morning police had recorded my statement.”Mahatme said, “We have provided some 5 to 6 documents of the department to the police as asked by them to take up the investigation”. However, later talking to Minister Badal Chowdhury in this regard, Minister said, “After the department has found the case very major, the entire issue was handed over with the police. "The police is now investigating the matter and very soon the culprits will be punished if they are found misappropriated the money.” Minister added.

Besides, talking to TIWN Addl Superintendent of Police (Unakoti) Nabadip Jamatia said, “We have recorded the statement of the Mission Director under Section 161 CRPC Act. And there is no further development to the case as of now.”

However it is worthy to mention here that earlier Congress Chief Birajit Sinha tried to lodge FIR against the CMOs, but police allegedly refused to receive the case. Later Sinha moved to High Court and filed Writ Petition, and following the direction of the court the departmental enquiry has started to the case.

“When a police officer who refuse to receive FIR and again he is directed to investigate matter by his higher authority, what can it prove?” Sinha questioned recently. “The investigation was supposed to be conducted by other district Police officers to bring out a development to the scam issue,” Sinha demanded. Sinha alleged that the adjacent of the money shown to the Mission Director is less, whereas the figure might have crossed more than Rs. 30 crore.

Birajit Sinha said the amount of Rs 4.47 crore "is only the tip of the iceberg.”Huge amounts of money have been looted through false utilisation and by doling out cash to fake NGOs. Only a CBI investigation can unearth the whole truth but the NHM director has done a good job. We will monitor the progress of the case."

On yet another major embarrassment for the Left front govt. here in Tripura amidst the rose valley ponzi scam, an FIR has been lodged against at least 17 officers of the National Health Mission on charge of major embezzlement of money for the past three years at Unakoti district under North Tripura.   

The state government had received complaints of misappropriation of fund to the tune of Rs 27 crore from Congress legislator and incumbent Tripura Pradesh Congress president Birajit Sinha during the year 2014, following which the Tripura government has directed State Mission Director of the National Health Mission (NHM) to verify records in view of the alleged embezzlement of funds in the Unakoti district of north Tripura.

An internal audit has revealed misappropriation of NHM funds to the tune of Rs 20 crore in the district over a period of seven years till 2013.

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