Scandal in Health Dept
From Rakesh Lohumi
Tribune News Service

SHIMLA, Oct 8 — The state Vigilance Department has uncovered a major scandal in the Health Department in which funds to the tune of over Rs 73 lakh were misutilised under the AIDS awareness programme.

According to Mr V.K. Malik, Additional Director-General of Police, officers of the department manipulated quotations to give undue benefit to private firms while placing orders for the supply glow signboards, acrylic sheets and hanging boards. Dr Dharam Pal being posted as Staff Programme Officer, AIDS, in connivance with Dr Gorakh Nath, the then, Chief Medial Officer, Hamirpur, made irregular purchases to cause wrongful loss to the government. While quotations offered by some firms at lower rates were rejected on flimsy grounds, M/s Ashwa Arts of Hamirpur and certain other firms were given the supply order worth Rs 73,45,466 at higher rates.

A case has been registered against Dr Gorakh Nath, at present a Joint Director, and two others in connection with scandal.

A similar case of irregular purchases by manipulating quotations in connivance with the suppliers was detected in the state Scheduled Caste and Scheduled Tribe Development Corporation. Mr P.C Bhatia, the then District Manager, and Mr Ajay Raghav, Field Officer, recommended purchase of various kinds of machines to the beneficiaries from only one firm, Friends Enterprises of Hamirpur. From June to December 1994, subsidy was granted by the corporation in 133 cases. Out of these, 50 cases related to purchase of sewing machines, electric motors and toka machines for which as many as 41 quotations of this firm were approved. The supplier, Ganesh Dutt, had floated numerous fake firms for the purpose. Even the address and phone number on the letterhead of these firms were the same.

In another case, Mr Sohan Lal and Mr Atma Ram, both Naib Tehsildars, Mr Mela Ram and Mr Raghubir Singh, Patwaris of the Revenue Settlement Department, were booked for illegally transferring "Garden View", an evacuee property spread over 2534 square yards, near Cart Road, Shimla, in the name of Mr Udhmi Ram, a resident of the town.

The evacuee property had already been allotted and sold to late Mr Kartar Singh Duggal by the Rehabilitation Department in September 1987.

The police also registered a case against Mr Rakesh Kaundal, Agriculture Development Officer, for embezzlement of sale proceeds of seeds and other farm inputs to the tune of Rs 31,855 during 1992-93. The inputs were supplied to farmers on subsidised rates but the amount was not deposited. Mr Vinod Kumar, the then Block Development Officer, Paonta, was booked for misappropriation of Rs 40,000 meant for drainage and streets in Gujar Basti of Badripur.

In all, five cases have been registered in which nine officials have been booked.