Srinagar, Jan 21: A top official of Health and Medical Education Department has unauthorizedly transferred `40 crores sanctioned by the Union Health Ministry for up-gradation of existing infrastructure and establishment of new institutions imparting training to paramedics in the state to his personal account. Following the development government ordered probe and placed the official under suspension.
In 2010, the state Health Ministry sent a proposal for upgradation of existing institutions and establishment of two nursing colleges, three nursing schools and 12 AMT schools to the Union Health Ministry. Sources said ` 20 crores were sanctioned for establishment of each nursing college, ` 10 crores for each nursing school and ` 5 crores for each AMT school in the state.
During the Darbar move the Union Health Ministry sanctioned ` 40 crores as first installment for the said proposal. However, sources said, the Official on Special Duty to Health and Medical Education got the cheque from New Delhi and unauthorizedly opened an account at Jammu and Kashmir Bank limited, Moving Branch Civil Secretariat and deposited the money into it.
Sources said the guilty official “enjoying the patronage of some senior officials” transferred the money into his account without authorization of competent authority.
They said the funds should have been deposited into the bank account of Health and Medical Education Department.
“It was surprising how the official manipulated the draft of the sanctioned amount and managed to open a personal account in the Bank to deposit the money,” sources said.
When contacted Health Minister Sham Lal Sharma said during the Durbar move a token amount of ` 40 crores was sanctioned by the Union Health Ministry for the establishment of the nursing colleges, schools and AMT Schools. However, he said the guilty official through unwarranted means “opened his personal account without the authorization of the administrative department and deposited ` 40 crores into it.” Sharma said, “We were fortunate enough that we caught the official at appropriate time.”
The bank account has been freezed and money is safe, he said. “I have ordered an enquiry into it and enquiry officer will file the report within one week,” he said. “ We have placed the guilty officer under suspension.”