Consider probe into alleged NHM scam: Gauhati High Court directs Dispur

STAFF REPORTER

GUWAHATI: The Gauhati High Court passed an order directing the State Government and Vigilance and Anti-Corruption, Assam, to consider conducting an inquiry into an alleged scam in the implementation of various schemes under the National Health Mission (NHM) in Assam during the financial years from 2005-06 to 2015-16.

The order was passed concerning a PIL (22/2023) filed before the HC by the petitioner, a voluntary non-profit organization, Amguri Naba Nirman Samity. It directed respondents, namely the Chief Secretary, Government of Assam, and the Superintendent of Police, Vigilance, and Anti-Corruption, Assam, to consider and decide the representations of Amguri Naba Nirman Samity by passing a speaking order within a period of two months from the date of submission of the order.

The representations referred to are complaints dated November 8, 2021, and January 6, 2023, regarding misappropriation of government funds under NRHM in the state, with special reference to Sivasagar and Nagaon districts in the years 2005-06 to 2015-16, which the respondents in the case had not responded to.

During the hearing, the advocate for the petitioner pointed out that the complaint lodged by the petitioner regarding misappropriation of government funds under the NRHM in the Nagaon District in the years 2005-06 to 2015-16 has been registered as Nagaon Police Station Case No. 216/2023. However, the other two representations have still not been responded to, as the advocate said before the court.

It is also mentioned that an affidavit filed on behalf of the respondents says it has not been disputed that the officers concerned with the government, i.e., the Chief Secretary, Government of Assam, and the Superintendent of Police, Vigilance and Anti-Corruption, Assam, have not responded to these representations. In view of this, the court directed that, upon a copy of the order being presented to the officers concerned, they will have to 'objectively consider and decide' the representations of the petitioner referred to by passing speaking order(s) within a period of two (2) months from the date of submission of the order.'

It should be noted that the Public Interest Litigation (PIL) was filed by the petitioner seeking the following relief: (a) to direct the Respondent Authorities to conduct an Enquiry through a High Level Enquiry Committee in the matter of huge financial embezzlement committed during the course of implementation of various Schemes under the National Rural Health Mission (NRHM), Government of Assam during the financial years from 2005-06 to 2015-16; (b) to identify the Government Officials and Contractors and any other persons involved in misappropriation of government funds and thereafter launch appropriate proceeding for their punishment and also for recovery of the misappropriated Government Fund from them; (c) to direct the respondent named above to take into account the representations mentioned earlier and dispose of the same and/or pass such other order(s) as the court deemed fit and necessary.

In the petition filed by Amguri Naba Nirman Samity, it was stated that amounts of crores of rupees had been allotted by the central and state governments for NRHM for buying medicines, improvement of infrastructure, and construction of houses during the financial years from 2005-06 to 2015-16 under the Mission Director, National Rural Health Mission, Assam, and Member Secretary, NRHM, Nagaon. Furthermore, it said that government funds were misappropriated in the name of buying medicines, construction of houses, fake works, additional fund wastage, unauthorised fund wastage, etc. All these misappropriations of huge government funds have been revealed in the reports of the Auditor of the Office of Accountant General (Audit), Assam, it added.

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