Probe utilisation of funds under NRHM: UP govt to DC

LUCKNOW: With the Allahabad High Court asking the UP government to reply to a PIL seeking CBI probe into alleged swindling of funds under National Rural Health Mission, the state government has asked divisional commissioners to probe utilisation of funds in past four years.

"The Chief Secretary Anoop Kumar Mishra has directed all the divisional commissioners to submit their report by July 23 on NRHM funds," a senior official said.

The DCs have been asked to give details of NRHM schemes, money alloted to districts under the scheme, eligibility/standard for doing work under them, besides covering other points, he said.

The Lucknow bench comprising Justices Pradeep Kant and Ritu Raj Awasthi fixed July 25 as the next date of hearing of the PIL filed by a local scribe alleging big scam in NRHM implementation and sought CBI probe into it.

The matter of anomalies in NRHM funds came to light during probe into CMO BP Singh murder (on April 2) case after which Family Welfare Minister Babu Singh Khushwaha and Health Minister Anant Kumar Mishra had resigned taking moral responsibility.

Earlier, CMO Vinod Kumar Arya was murdered in October last year and the accused of Singh murder deputy CMO YS Sachan died under mysterious circumstances in the district jail.

The CBI is already probing Sachan murder case and opposition parties are also demanding CBI probe into alleged NRHM scam.