CBI nabs former Jharkhand health secy in multi-crore scam
RANCHI: The CBI on Friday arrested former Jharkhand health secretary Siyaram Prasad Sinha for his alleged involvement in the multi-crore health scam in the state.
In the scam estimated to be over Rs 100-crore, largescale irregularities were found in the purchase of medicines and other health commodities under the National Rural Health Mission (NRHM).
The 1988 batch IAS officer was arrested from his residence at Vasant Vihar colony in Harmu and was taken to the CBI office, where he was interrogated.
Sinha was produced in the court of special CBI judge N N Singh amid tight security and was sent to 14-day judicial custody. CBI SP R C Choudhury said the case is under investigation.
The scam surfaced in 2009 when an inquiry report of former health secretary Shivendu found the state Reproductive and Child Health (RCH) wing had purchased medicines and other commodities in 2008-09 without following the norms. The RCH had purchased medicines from private parties despite Union health ministry's 2008 purchase reference policy that called upon the state to buy medicines under the NRHM scheme from public sector undertakings (PSU).
Health commodities worth crores of rupees were bought far in excess of actual requirement.
In 2009, the CBI had conducted raids in the case involving several IAS and state government officials and had seized several documents related to the scam and investments in various parts of the country.
In the same year, then governor K Sankaranarayan had ordered for a CBI probe into the alleged health scam. The others accused in the case are suspended IAS and former health secretary Pradeep Kumar and former NRHM director Vijay Narayan Singh.
The CBI also conducted raids on former health minister Bhanu Pratap Shahi's residence at Bhavanathpur in Garhwa district. The CBI officials reached his house in the morning and raids started at 8 am. Documents related to the scam are being scrutinized, but the agency has not made any major breakthrough.
In the scam estimated to be over Rs 100-crore, largescale irregularities were found in the purchase of medicines and other health commodities under the National Rural Health Mission (NRHM).
The 1988 batch IAS officer was arrested from his residence at Vasant Vihar colony in Harmu and was taken to the CBI office, where he was interrogated.
Sinha was produced in the court of special CBI judge N N Singh amid tight security and was sent to 14-day judicial custody. CBI SP R C Choudhury said the case is under investigation.
The scam surfaced in 2009 when an inquiry report of former health secretary Shivendu found the state Reproductive and Child Health (RCH) wing had purchased medicines and other commodities in 2008-09 without following the norms. The RCH had purchased medicines from private parties despite Union health ministry's 2008 purchase reference policy that called upon the state to buy medicines under the NRHM scheme from public sector undertakings (PSU).
Health commodities worth crores of rupees were bought far in excess of actual requirement.
In 2009, the CBI had conducted raids in the case involving several IAS and state government officials and had seized several documents related to the scam and investments in various parts of the country.
In the same year, then governor K Sankaranarayan had ordered for a CBI probe into the alleged health scam. The others accused in the case are suspended IAS and former health secretary Pradeep Kumar and former NRHM director Vijay Narayan Singh.
The CBI also conducted raids on former health minister Bhanu Pratap Shahi's residence at Bhavanathpur in Garhwa district. The CBI officials reached his house in the morning and raids started at 8 am. Documents related to the scam are being scrutinized, but the agency has not made any major breakthrough.
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