Taking serious note of the Comptroller and Auditor General (CAG) report regarding irregularities in the working of drug de-addiction and the rehabilitation centres in Punjab, the State Government on Friday ordered an inquiry into the working of these centres.
State's Health and Family Welfare Minister Brahm Mohindra has directed the Health Secretary Hussan lal to conduct inquiry into the irregularities in the working of drug de-addiction centres and the rehabilitation centres and submit the report within a week.
Mohindra said that the matter is very serious, as huge amount of public money have been spent on these centres while the deliverance was nil.
The findings of the report will be taken very seriously and proper legal and criminal action would be initiated against those whose name figures in the report. Taking on the previous Parkash Singh Badal Government, Mohindra said that the centres were running without proper licensing from the Government, which went unchecked during the previous regime.
There is huge nexus of anti-social elements and the persons running these illegal centres. This needs to be thoroughly probed so that the people of Punjab come to know about the misgovernance of the previous regime, the minister said.
The report clearly shows the seriousness of the previous regime towards health sector. The SAD-BJP played with the health of the State as well as of the people, Mohindra added.
The CAG report tabled in the Punjab Assembly showed that there were 35 drug de-addiction centres and rehabilitation centres, which were running without proper license from the Government while another five were not functional at all.
Also, five de-addiction and rehab centres, which were set up in 2014 and 2015 at cost of `6.93 crores, were not functional due to non availability of the psychiatrists, medical officers and other staff.