UP babus loot 3,700cr rural health funds

Lucknow: July 20, 2011

In Uttar Pradesh, over Rs 3,700 crore of central health funds may have been systematically looted over the past six years. The size of the scam indicates that not only were officials at the level of CMO and above involved, but also this could not have been carried out without the knowledge and support of their masters. A list was circulated to health officials. This was not an official document, but a guideline, and this provided the template for the loot. There were 54 heads under which NRHM funds were coming in. Under each head was mentioned how much the particular department was supposed to ‘save’. And this ranged from 5% to, in some cases, 100%. TOI is in possession of the list. It was understood that all CMOs would ‘save’ as per instructions given in the list and pass the money on to higherups. The average saving is approximately 50%.