As UP is gearing up for polls, the CBI on Wednesday carried out searches at over 60 places.
As the Uttar Pradesh is gearing up for polls, the Central Bureau of Investigation on Wednesday carried out searches at over 60 places, including at the residence of former UP family welfare minister Babu Singh Kushwaha in Lucknow, after registering five fresh cases to probe alleged irregularities in funds allocated to the National Rural Health Mission.
Besides Uttar Pradesh, the searches were being carried out at other places including Delhi and Haryana. The CBI claims an estimated loss of Rs28 crore has been caused to the national exchequer owing to these irregularities.
“We have recovered 3 kg gold and 1.10 crore in cash from the premises of PK Jain, an officer of Uttar Pradesh Jal Nigam who is allegedly involved in upgrading of hospital under the NRHM scheme. He along with Kushwaha are the main accused in an FIR, causing the loss of Rs5.46 crore to the exchequer,” Dharini Mishra, CBI spokesperson said.
On December 30, BJP leader Kirit Somaiya had met the CBI officials in New Delhi and handed over some documents related to the NHRM scam. “Somaiya has provided us a bunch of documents on involvement of Kushwaha in the scam. These inputs have been included in the FIR,”a CBI official told DNA. Kushwaha is accuse of criminal misconduct and misuse of office in implementing the NRHM scheme as the family welfare minister.
The NRHM funds to the tune of about Rs10,000 cr were allocated to Uttar Pradesh from 2005-06 till date by the ministry of health and family welfare. The funds have been spent through 72 CMOs in UP and other nodal offices all over the state under the various schemes approved by the central government involving a large number of beneficiaries. And a number of these works have been executed through several state PSUs and contractors/firms. The CBI has been asked to complete its probe in four months by the Allahabad high court.
Two former Directors General of the UP Health Department - SP Ram and RR Bharati - were also taken into custody.
Besides, four more cases have been registered in connection with awarding contracts in the procurement of medicines and medical equipment, expenditure incurred for the purpose of printing of publicity material, hoardings, banners by Director General (family welfare).
The CBI claims that besides Lucknow, raids were conducted in Agra, Kanpur, Amethi, Meerut, Ghaziabad and Moradabad, Delhi and Haryana too.
Houses of two BSP legislators Ram Chandra Pradhan and RP Jaiswal, known to be close to Kushwaha, were also raided.
Irregularities were reported in the NRHM fund disbursed to Uttar Pradesh in 2011. On November 15, 2011, the Allahabad High Court directed the CBI to conduct an inquiry into the misuse of the NRHM funds in UP.
The agency has constituted a team big special investigating team comprising 26 officers, including five Superintendents of Police under the overall supervision of Additional Director, Joint-Director and two DIGs.
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