The Health Minister of Uttarakhand, Surendra Singh Negi, has taken strong exception to the delay in punitive action against department officials found guilty in the taxi scam and illegal appointments in Dehradun and Tehri districts. In a letter directed to the Principal Secretary, Health, the Minister has stated that the image of the Government is being sullied due to the protracted delay in taking official action against the guilty in these scams. The Minister has directed the PS to take action against those found guilty.
In the taxi scam, payments were made by the office of some chief medical officers (CMO) to travel agencies producing fake fuel bills. A departmental inquiry indicted some officials in the scam but no punitive action was taken by the government. However the department had lodged an FIR against the travel agencies in month of February last year, an action which most of the observers termed as mere eyewash.
It is learnt that the role of CMOs of Tehri, Dehradun, Haridwar, Udham Singh Nagar and Principal Medical Superintendent (PMS) of Doon hospital and Chief Medical Superintendent (CMS) of Coronation Hospital and Rishikesh government hospital is also found questionable by the inquiry committee set up by the department.
In Dehradun the taxi scam covers the period when Dr Gurpal Singh, Dr R K Pant and Dr P C Bonthiyal were CMO similarly in Tehri the tenure of Dr S P Agarwal is under question. While in Udham Singh Nagar Dr Rakesh Sinha and Dr V K Gairola were at helm during the period of alleged scam.
Similarly the appointments of some candidates under National Health Mission (NHM) in the department in Dehradun and Tehri districts are also under the scanner. It remains to be seen what action is taken against the guilty officials in the scams which had hit the department.