AGARTALA, May 19 (TIWN): State Health Department on Tuesday expressed displeasure over the negligent role of the police over the National Rural Health Misison (NRHM) at kailasahar, Unakoti District sought immediate arrest of the accused Chief Medical Officers (CMOs) against whom the department had lodged FIR revealing misappropriation of NHM funds to the tune of Rs 20 crore in the district over a period of seven years till 2013.Besides, several discussions had already been started in the department following the negligence role of the police. On being asked why the accused CMOs have not yet been arrested, State Health Minister Badal Chowdhury on Tuesday told the reporters at the civil secretariat, “Department from its part had already lodged the FIR with the police finding irregularities in the fund to the tune of Rs. 5 crore".“The entire case has already been handed over to the police, therefore it is the duty of the police now to deal with the case,” adding he said that the department is expecting further development in the case.However, the state health department finding police playing a negligence role over the case, sought immediate arrest of the accused CMOs.

Also it is worthy to mention here no arrest of the accused persons involved in the multi-crore scam could be witnessed yet after the passage of long period of time, even after the department itself had lodged the FIR.

Asked about this issue,  Kailasahar PS OC Sabeer Ahmed said to TIWN on Tuesday, “Though the department has lodged the FIR, but the police needs to verify the provided documents related to the case and besides, it needs time to arrest the FIR named accused persons.”

But interestingly the police involved in the investigation of the case have been found to have washed their hands from beginning of the case. The negligence role of the police and delay of the arrest of the accused persons   lead the FIR named CMOs still at large.

The state health department has also expressed its displeasure over this as the CMOs are still kept safe from the case and no arrest has been done yet.

After getting salvos from the High Court of Tripura (HC) recently, the probe into the multi-crore scam at national flagship programme - NRHM has come to a halt. Chief Medical Officer (CMO) of Unakoti District - Dr. Alok Dewan, accused of misappropriating allocated fund under NRHM outlay has managed to comfort in his office.

With another major setback to the investigation of the National Rural Health Mission (NHM) scam unearthed at Unakoti District of Tripura the FIR named corrupt Chief Medical Officers (CMOs) and other officers have gotten an easy way to escape from the entire allegations against them.

With this the negligence role of the police had of course came under the limelight. Despite lodging FIR by the state Health Department itself, against the 17 CMOs and other officials Police applying their own made strategy has been found delaying to arrest the culprits. Also it has been learnt that Police in the name of verifying provided documents related to the case is unexpectedly remained backtrack from bringing further development to the scam.

The High Court of Tripura has recently directed the high-level police official to take action against Additional Superintendent of Police (ASP) Nabadwip Jamatia and Kailasahar PS OC Sabeer Ahmed for not taking the first complaint as FIR filed by Pradesh Congress Committee (PCC) president Birajit Sinha.

Most interestingly, since after the FIR was lodged by the NHM Mission Director Dr. Sandeep Mahatme against 17 CMOs and others Police and its investigating agency has absolutely failed to arrest the accused persons. As a result the accused officials managed to roam free taking a comfort in their office yet today.  

NRHM director Dr. Sandeep Mahatme registered complaints against 17 medical officers including Dr. Alok Dewan at the same police station. During the course of departmental inquiry it was revealed that Rs 4.47 crore had been allegedly siphoned off from 2006 to 2014 by five CMOs and ten medical officers in-charge (MOICs) in the undivided North district. All the CMOs and MOICs had been asked to submit papers showing utilization of fund but they could not produce till the date prompting Mahatme to lodge FIR against 17 persons.

Earlier, Congress MLA Birajit Sinha and party supporters had gheraoed the Dewan demanding immediate arrest of those who were involved in the misappropriation of NRHM funds.