Authorities fail to take action despite gross violations
Irfan Tramboo
Srinagar, Nov 15: The audit of Sub District Hospital (SDH), Magam in district Budgam has revealed massive discrepancies concerning the procurement and utilization of funds even as the authorities have failed in taking any action so far.
As per the audit and inspection which was carried on the accounts of Block Medical Officer (BMO), Magam from April 2015-September 2020, the report of which has been provided in reply to an RTI application, reveals that procurement has been carried out without having any policy framework in place even as the supply orders have been placed for purchases based on expired rate contracts and without inviting tenders.
“In most of the cases tenders have not been invited by the BMO Magam to ascertain the reasonability and rates during the entire period of the audit under report, instead dasti quotations have been invited and in most of the cases, repeat orders have been placed on the rates and terms/ conditions finalized for previous years,” the audit observed.
The report has also revealed that with regard to the purchase of drugs, medical equipment, surgical and suture items, it has been observed that the Block Office and resorted to massive purchase of such items without seeking a non-availability certificate from the J&K Medical Supplies Corporation Ltd. The same has been done, the report stated: “…without observing codal procedures.”
In such a manner, purchases worth more than 23 lakh rupees have been made even as the report underlined that rules have been “flouted” which is a great “irregularity” and needs justification.
The audit stated that the Controlling Officer has not conducted the Administrative Inspection of the Block Medical Officer Magam for the period under report even as it stated that as per records, the physical verification of stores/stock of Block Medical Officer Magam has not been conducted by the authorities since 2016.
The Block Office has, as per the report, also spent over Rs 7 lakh on printing of OPD/IPD forms, revenue receipt books, GR Books, ECG/USG papers out of Hospital Development Fund (HDF) without obtaining NOC from the Govt Press.
The authorities have also spent an amount of over Rs 2 lakh on the repairs of machinery, equipment “without flouting tenders” even as the audit report stated that such works have been taken up on a work order basis “without ascertaining” the rates by inviting tenders.
“…no technical estimation has been done by the technical experts in order to ascertain the admissibility of such repair works; it could thus be summed up that the repair work…has been taken up arbitrarily…,” the audit report said.
Even as the report has been submitted to the higher authorities, no departmental action has been so far initiated in this regard. The official sources told Excelsior that the report is not even in the view of the higher-ups let alone.
Interestingly, the authorities also took up the construction of a ramp at the hospital to facilitate the movement of highly sick and disabled patients, the audit report state that the material required, as per the audit report, has been procured without ascertaining the reasonability of rates while as the work was executed through local labourers.
The audit report has also pointed out the open market purchases that have been done by the Block Office without the invitation of tenders to the tune of over Rs 6 lakh. The report underline that the dasti-quotations is not a viable alternative to tendering and the adoption of repeat order tenders is a gross violation of rules.
To get the official side of the story, Director of Health Services, Kashmir (DHSK) Dr Mushtaq Ahmad Rather told Excelsior said that he has not been able to see the report while stating that DHSK has already begun to carry out an internal audit across Kashmir starting from Ganderbal. “To carry that out, a committee has already been constituted,” he said.
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