Rahul Gandhi lashes out at Mayawati Government on NRHM irregularities

Congress General Secretary Rahul Gandhi started his second day of the Uttar Pradesh tour by addressing a Congress workers’ meet at Gaind Ghar Ground, Behrauch in U.P. Rahul Gandhi lashed out at the Mayawati Government and alleged that BSP Government has been misusing all the welfare schemes brought in by the Central Government meant for the poor.

On the NRHM scam and the killing of three Chief Medial Officers in the state Rahul Gandhi said “Corruption is rampant here in U.P. We filed FIR in connection with the NRHM allegations. CBI has been investigating many cases related to NRHM in which BSP ministers are also involved. Some of the ministers like Kushwaha have been running around in Delhi to get rid off from the clutches of investigation.” He also alleged that crores of amount of rupees meant for the development have been diverted to the ministers’ pockets in the state. “If we make road, that is for you, the common man. We want the funds meant for making roads and other infrastructure to reach you. But this is not happening here” added Rahul Gandhi.

The Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) has registered five Preliminary Enquiries relating to alleged irregularities in the funds allotted to the National Rural Health Mission (NRHM) in Uttar Pradesh since its inception in 2005-06 on the directions of the Allahabad High Court's Lucknow Bench.

They pertain to civil works of Director-General (Family Welfare), procurement of medicines and equipments and information, education and communication of Director-General (Family Welfare), Director-General (Medical Health) and Director (Training), State Health Society, State Innovation in Family Planning & Project Agency (SIFPSA), IEC Bureau, King George Medical University (KGMU) and the United Nations Office for Project Services (UNOPS) and Others, and funds allocated to Chief Medical Officers (CMOs) of 72 districts of the State.

The NRHM funds to the tune of about Rs. 10,000 crore were allocated to U.P. for 2005-06 till date by the Union Health and Family Welfare Ministry. It was spent through 72 CMOs and other nodal offices all over the State under various schemes approved by the Central government. A number of works were executed through several State PSUs and large number of contractors/firms.

In April this year, Babu Singh Kushwaha resigned as Uttar Pradesh's Family Welfare Minister taking moral responsibility for the scam involving misappropriation of NRHM funds in the office of Lucknow's CMO, a racket that was exposed after the murder of incumbent B.P. Singh.

This article is posted by pressbrief.in