NEW DELHI, July 15:
The UPA’s flagship National Rural Health Mission has come under sharp criticism from within the government, with the Panchayati Raj Ministry alleging that the scheme is “non-transparent”.
Slamming the multi-crore public health delivery programme in rural India as “non-transparent”, the Panchayati Raj Ministry has urged its Health department to ensure voluntary disclosure of NRHM components and beneficiaries to gram sabhas.
This would help achieve best results in rural India, it said.
The Panchayati Ministry has also sought social audit of NRHM funds to prevent their misappropriation as seen in Uttar Pradesh.
“The NRHM scheme is non-transparent. What is happening in NRHM must be told through Gram Sabhas. There should be voluntary disclosure of information about the scheme, its deliverables and beneficiaries. People do not know about this right now,” Hrusikesh Panda, Additional Secretary in the Panchayati Raj Ministry said.
The Panchayati Raj Ministry has raised concerns over the NRHM structure at various forums and even flagged the issue during consultations for the 12th Plan, sources said.
The criticism of NRHM comes close on the heels of the Government admitting to “loopholes” in the functioning of the much touted rural employment guarantee scheme MNREGA.
The Prime Minister has now directed the Planning Commission to review the scheme and plug the loopholes.
About NRHM, Panda said voluntary disclosure to gram sabhas will automatically lead to social audit of the scheme.
“There is a need to have a fresh look at NRHM to make people in gram sabhas aware about what it entails. Right now, the role of panchayats in its implementation is minimal,” Panda said.
He added that murders of doctors in Uttar Pradesh would not have taken place had there been transparency in NRHM.
The scheme bags almost two-thirds of the annual health budget on an average. In the 2012-13 Budget, Rs 20,822 crore were allocated for NRHM out of the total outlay of Rs 30,702 crore for the entire health sector.Launched in 2005, the scheme has been extended for another five years in the 12th Plan.
The Panchayati Raj Ministry has been raising the issue of non-transparency in the scheme and has written to the Health Ministry about it more than twice.
Panda said the Ministry had also conveyed action points to all panchayats which details on their bigger role in checking female foeticide in villages.
The Ministry has written to panchayats to make it mandatory for all auxiliary nurses and midwives (ANMs) to declare names of women who have benefited from the scheme.
He said to help improve the sex ratio in villages, gram sabhas have been told to hold special meetings to discuss the impact of illegal sex determination and female foeticide on the social order.
The Ministry has also mandated the constitution of Mahila Gram Sabhas in all panchayats to prevent foeticide and get pregnant women to register in the second month of pregnancy instead of the fourth month.
Villagers, panchayat members and sarpanch must also keep a watch on clinics engaged in their area and bring irregularities to the notice of authorities, Panda said.
It has also asked village panchayats to encourage volunteers to check agents facilitating sex-determination. (PTI)
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