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Stop health aid, CIAA tells govt
KATHMANDU, MAY 31 -
After finding that a large amount of money from the state coffers has been misused in the name of health aid, the Commission for Investigation of Abuse of Authority (CIAA) has directed the Office of the Prime Minister and Council of Ministers not to release any more aid under this head.
The CIAA order comes at a time when Health Minister Uma Kanta Chaudhary has been demanding a release of additional Rs 100 million under health aid.
Chaudhary has so far disbursed Rs 23.86 million under health aid while most of the money has being going to party leaders, former ministers and lawmakers for the last 10 months. The minister recently forwarded a proposal in the Cabinet seeking more
budget.
“The minister’s intention of having health aid released at the end of this fiscal is not very usual and ethical and the Cabinet should consider the common people’s right to health rather than releasing a large amount of money,” said CIAA Spokesman Ishwori Poudel.
The Rs 70 million released by the ministry this fiscal for health assistance of various kinds was spent in six months, while an additional 20 million was sanctioned under this heading later.
The CIAA smelt a rat in the minister’s intention. It said there isn’t any mechanism to check the details of applications filed in the Office of the Prime Minister and Council of Ministers (OPMCM).
A Post investigation a month ago had revealed that political leaders and former ministers have received almost all the money under the health aid with the Cabinet’s approval.
Health Ministry records show that 1,100 poor and needy patients are awaiting health aid for the last one year, while most of these people are suffering from serious health problems like kidney and heart diseases and cancer.
Sources at the health ministry say the health aid applications coming from politicians, ministers and their relatives are not cross-checked as they come approved from the Cabinet. Applications of those who do not have links with ministers and high-level officials are subject to tough and long scrutiny.
“The 1,100 pending applications are of this kind. No link,
no payment,” said a Health Ministry official.
l Anti-graft body says a large amount of health aid has been misused
l Health minister has so far disbursed Rs 23.86 million
l Most of the cash went to party leaders, ex-ministers and lawmakers
l Uma Kanta Chaudhary seeks additional Rs 100 million under the title
l 1,100 poor and needy patients awaiting aid for the past one year
Posted on: 2010-06-01 08:05
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