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Docs reveal 6 hospitals involved in NHM scam at Unakoti: No arrest yet
TIWN
Docs reveal 6 hospitals involved in NHM scam at Unakoti: No arrest yet
PHOTO : NHM document showing corruption in Hospitals. TIWN

AGARTALA, April 14 (TIWN): With no major development with the police investigation to the National Health Mission (NHM) multi crore scam case at Unakoti District (North), a recent document collected after RTI revealed that at least six hospitals are involved to the NHM multi-crore scam. This has now proved that starting from the Chief Medical Officers (CMOs) till the doctors, Medical Superintendents, fund re-imbursement officers, along with a section of ruling leaders are linked to the scam that has of course brought another major embarrassment for the Left front govt. here. However, but it is to be mentioned here that since after the FIR was lodged against the CMOs, no major development could be witnessed in police investigation, with no arrest yet today. Earlier police recorded the statement of the Mission Director (NHM, North) Dr. Sandeep Mahatme, who had earlier lodged an FIR with the police against 17 Medical officials of the department after finding them engaged to misappropriation of money. 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.

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 he 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.”

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.   

An internal audit has revealed misappropriation of NHM funds to the tune of Rs 24 crore in the district over a period of seven years till 2013.

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