To
The Comptroller and Auditor General of India Date- 28.5.21
New Delhi
Sub- Request to undertaken CAG Audit of expenses made for management of COVID Pandemic situation by Govt. of Odisha
Sir
We the Social activists, RTI Activists and political organizations spearheading campaign for transparency and fight out corruption in Odisha, are drawing attention of your good office about huge irregularities mismanagement of fund sanctioned to deal with COVID pandemic and undue favour shown to private hospitals to give them maximum benefit at the cost of interest of the people of the state.
1. The outbreak of dreaded COVID pandemic caused huge loss to the millions of poor, landless labourers, migrant labourers in terms of loss of thousands of human life, unemployment crisis, food insecurity etc. across the country including Odisha. While the lakhs of people are embattled with this dreaded disease, the Govt. officials, private hospitals , business people are seen competing to gain huge profit by looting public money in name of COVID management. Odisha is the classic example of loot of Govt. fund, undue benefit to private hospitals, mismanagement of public fund by bureaucrats.
2. As per RTI information, on 8th April 2020, Suresh Mohapatra, the then Development Commissioner ( Presently working as Additional Chief Secretary) wrote a letter to all the Collectors under the subject captioned “ Guidelines for admission of patients and setting claims for COVID Hospitals” that the hospitals shall be reimbursed on per bed day basis irrespective of whether the bed is occupied or not , wherever it is fixed as such ( Annexture-1). This letter was designed with ulterior motive to give huge profit from the public fund to Private Hospitals in Odisha by calculating bed charge separately from other charges ( consumable item cost) .
3. It gave enough opportunity to the private hospitals declared as COVID Hospital to mindlessly charge for bed whether that quantity of bed is really available in the hospital or not or patients really treated or not.
4. The information provided by Odisha Mining Corporation dt. 25.3.21 revealed that Kalinga Institute of Medical Science( KIMS), a hospital managed by Kalinga Institute of Industrial technology ( KIIT), Patia, Bhubaneswar of Achyut Samant , Lok Sabha MP of BJD party ( Biju Janata Dal) has received total amount of Rs. 43.41 crore out which bed charge is Rs. 41.38 crore ( 96%) and Rs. 2.05 crore for patients’ charge ( 4%). The details of payments is as follows. ( OMC document attached as annexture-2)
Payment Status of KIMS COVID 19 Hospital
( Provided by Odisha Mining Corporation on 25.3.21 )
|
Month |
Advanced paid and adjusted |
Fixed bed cost in Rs. |
Fixed patient Cost in Rs. |
Total amount in Rs. Settled |
|
April , 20 |
12,35,26,000 |
4,49,58,000 |
18,76,250 |
4,68,34,250 |
|
May, 20 |
|
4,92,90,000 |
37,35,250 |
4,30,25,250 |
|
June, 20 |
|
4,77,00,000 |
1,47,70,500 |
6,24,70,500 |
|
July , 20 |
4,92,48,000 |
4,92,90,000 |
|
4,92,90,000 |
|
August , 20 |
|
4,92,90,000 |
|
4,92,90,000 |
|
September , 20 |
|
4,77,00,000 |
|
4,77,00,000 |
|
October , 20 |
|
4,92,90,000 |
|
4,92,90,000 |
|
Nov, 20 |
|
4,09,50,000 |
|
4,09,50,000 |
|
December, 20 |
|
3,53,40,000 |
|
3,53,40,000 |
|
Total |
17,27,74,000 |
41,38,08,000 |
2,03,82,000 |
43,41,90,000 |
5. To help this Hospital for its own business expansion , On 7.4.20 ( just within couple of days of declaration of COVID lockdown), OMC released advance money 12,35,26,000 to KIMS, Patia, Bhubaneswar to open its own hospital branches in three districts i.e., Bolangir, Kalahandi, Mayurbhanj. This is no doubt a calculated decision to favour private hospital for its profiteering business in the name of COVID management.
6. Similarly, Sum Hospital, Bhubaneswar another Private Hospital has been provided crores of rupees against bed charge and patients’ charge separately by Mahanadi Coalfields Limited. Bed charge ( Rs.3000 per General bed and Rs. 5000 per ICU bed ) was consciously separated from patients’ charge ( consumable items) and separately calculated in order to give huge benefit to SUM Hospital. ( Annexture-3).
7. Like KIMS Hospital, other private hospitals like Aditya Aswini Hospital, Aswini COVID Hospital, Hightech COVID hospital, Tata Hospital , Berhampur are having nexus with Odisha bureaucracy and looted public money in the name of providing treatment to COVID patients.
8. As per RTI information, Odisha Medical Corporation has already utilized Rs. 477.44 crore sanctioned from SDRF( State Disaster Response Fund ) for purchase of Mask, PPE Kit, ventilator and other essential equipment(Annexture-4). When RTI query was made seeking copy of the purchasing order, details of payments and utilization of PPE Kit, ventilator, OSMCL is not providing any information since last six months. ( Annexture-5).
9. The opposition political parties have also exposed huge irregularities and corruption in procurement of PPE Kit, Mask, Ventilator and demanded inquiry into it ( Annexture-6).
10.RTI was also filed in the office of Collector, Ganjam , a district of highest concentration of COVID patients and COVID deaths seeking information about details of fund sanctioned and utilized to deal with COVID pandemic. The information provided on 15.4.21 reveals that Out of total amount sanctioned Rs. 47 crore , an UC has been submitted for Rs.23 crore till yet (Annexture-7). There is huge corruption and misappropriation of Govt. fund in the management of TMC ( Temporary Medical camp) by Gram Panchayats and Blocks which has been highlighted in local media.
11.The irregularities and mismanagement of COVID Fund is noticed in each and every block and district offices which is reported in media. Though huge money is sanctioned for COVID management, it is not being monitored by any officers. Lack of monitoring and transparency has resulted in loot of public money by officials and false and forged docuemnts has been prepared to show the utilization of fund.
12.As we understand, CAG audit on various issues starting from audit of allotment of land in Bhubaneswar and Cuttack, allotment of houses under Rural Housing scheme, mismanagement on OMFED and Odisha State Cooperative Bank etc. has been eye-opener for all of us. CAG Audit report has exposed wrongdoings, violation of Got. Rules and regularities and irregularities in Govt. scheme and programme.
So, keeping it in view, we humbly request your good office to undertake audit of the fund allocated and utilized for COVID pandemic in the greater interest of the state of Odisha.
Copy to : ( a) Secretary , Ministry of Home Affairs, New Delhi
( b ) Secretary, National Disaster Management Authority, New Delhi
Thanking you
Yours sincerely
Pradip Pradhan Girija Prasad Mohanty, Advocate
State Convener Working President, Odisha Pragati Dal
Odisha Soochana Adhikar Abhijan At/Post/Dist-Dhenkanal, Odisha
Plot No-S-111, Maitree Vihar M-9439120908
Post-Rail Vihar, Bhubaneswar-751023 ,Odisha
M-9937843482
Surendra Panigrahi Sudhir Mohanty, Advocate
State President , Bharatiya Bikash Parishad Secretary, Odisha Durniti Sangharsh Manch
Bank Colony, 1st Lane, Radio station Road 695,Nageswar Tangi, Old Tow Bhubaneswar
Berhampur, Ganjam- 760001, Odisha M-9861063290
M- 8917346822
Pradip Routray Sanjukta Panigrahi
Working President , Kalinga National Front Secretary, United Parents’ Association Forum
H.O- At-Parabil, post-Kandarpur Plot No.-396/4306, Kanak Durga Nagar
Dist-Cuttack, Odisha-754100 Chandrasekhar Pur,Bhuaneswar-22
M- 8144808909 M-9337903294
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