Government forms inquiry committee; report due in 15 days
Srinagar, August 22: Three officials, including the previous Medical Superintendent of District Hospital Kulgam, were suspended on Tuesday by the Health and Medical Education (H&ME) department in connection with alleged theft of Hospital Development Funds.
A two-person committee has been appointed to investigate the situation and report back within 15 days.
A copy of the decision states, “the Officials are, hereby, placed under suspension with immediate effect pending enquiry into the conduct relating to embezzlement of Hospital Development funds in District Hospital, Kulgam.”
Dr. Afsana Banoo, the former Medical Superintendent of District Hospital in Kulgam, Mohammad Ashraf, the former Senior Assistant, and Mohammad Shafi, the former Senior Assistant, have all been suspended from their positions.
“It is further ordered that during the period of suspension, they shall remain attached in the Directorate of Health Services, Kashmir, and he shall submit their bio-metric attendance to the Health and Medical Education Department on a monthly basis,” states the decision.
In addition, the directive states that with immediate effect, Mudasir DEIC Manager (on contractual basis), District Hospital, Kulgam, would be attached to the office of the Mission Director, National Health Mission, J&K.
Separately, an order states, “Sanction is hereby accorded to the constitution of two-member enquiry committee, comprising of the following Officers to enquire into the embezzlement of hospital Development funds of District Hospital, Kulgam while taking into account, the preliminary enquiry as conducted by the Directorate of Health Services, Kashmir and all other connected documents/evidence.”
Members of the group include Muzaffar Ahmad Rather, Chief Account Officer of the Government Medical College in Anantnag, and Yash Pal Sharma, MD, Director of Coordination for New Government Medical Colleges in Jammu and Kashmir.
The decree states, “Within fifteen (15) days of the date of issuance of this order, the inquiry committee shall submit its report along with explicit recommendations to the Health and Medical Education Department.”
Notably, a private security guard at the district hospital in Kulgam was recently detained on suspicion of stealing Rs 33 lakhs from the hospital’s official account, belonging to the Medical Superintendent.
While the inquiry continues, he was taken into custody and the stolen funds were recovered. KNO
