KIMS of Achyut Samant , BJD MP received Rs. 24 crores for COVID Hospital

KIMS of Achyut Samant , BJD MP received Rs. 24  crores  for  operation of  exclusive COVID Hospital

Dear friends

When  the news  about  tripartite  agreement  signed  among  KIMS, Bhubaneswar, OMC, Bhubaneswar  and  Got. of  Odisha for  establishment of  COVID Hospital  in Bhubaneswar  by KIMS ( Kalinga Institute  of Medical Science, Patia  which  has  got  leased  land  of   27  acres  from Govt.  and illegally  acquired  many  more ), we , the RTI  Activists  demanded   before  the  Govt.  public disclosure  of  copy  of agreement  and amount  sanctioned  to KIMS. But astonishingly, a self-claimed  transparent  Govt.( ?)  could not  provide  any  information.  At  last RTI Application  dt. 5.5.20 was submitted  to the PIO, office  of Odisha Mining Corporation  seeking  information about  details of  funding  support made  by OMC , Bhubaneswar  to different  organizations to deal with  COVID 19  and its  purpose with date  of sanction. On 26.6.20, the PIO supplied the following  information.

Name  of the  district	Sanctioned in favour  of	Amount  in Rs./ Lakh	Purpose  of Sanction	Date  of Sanction
Khorda	KIMS, BBSR	1235.26	Establishment and  operation of  exclusive  COVID Hospital  with support  from OMC	31.3.20
Kondhamal	DO	346.50		9.4.20
Bolangir	DO	400.00		9.4.20
Mayurbhanj	DO	400.00		13.4.20
Cuttack	ASHWINI Hospital, Cuttack	165.00		9.4.20
Dhenkanal	CDMO &PHO, Dhenkanal	100.00		20.4.20
Puri	CDMO &PHO, Puri	200.00		15.4.20
Kalahandi	CDMO &PHO, Puri	400.00		15.4.20
Sundaragarh	RM, Koira OMC Ltd.	1.65	Distribution of ration  ( dry food)  to families  in distress  in and around OMC periphery  villages  during period of COVID lockdown	28.4.2020
Keonjhar	RM, Barbil OMC Ltd.	4.82		28.4.20
Keonjhar	RM, Gandhamardhan OMC Ltd.	1.98		28.4.20
Jajpur	RM, JK Road OMC Ltd.	1.92		28.4.20
	BDO, Sukinda  RM, JK Road OMC Ltd.	13.15	Providing Medical Kits  and safe guard  against  COVID 19	7.4.20
Khorda	MP Old age  Home  at Baliapata, Rasulgarh, Bhubaneswar	3.90	To meet  daily needs like  food, medicine, health check up  of old age inmates  during COVID  Lockdown	28.4.20

Analysis

A.       COVID has  been  disaster  for  crores  of  people  who have lost  their  life and livelihood, employment  etc.  But  at  the same  time,   COVID  has  been opportune  for  huge  profitable  business for  private  players  like  KIMS.

B.      It  was  expected  that  the  State  Govt. will  use  this opportunity ( COVID )  to   revive and strengthen  its  disastrous  health  system  by  modernizing  through  investment. But astonishingly, the  Govt.  preferred   to strengthen private  hospitals  utilizing public money at  the cost  of Govt. health system.

C.      Now while the Govt. health system  will deteriorate  more and more ,  the private hospitals  will  gain heavily   which will have negate impact on  over all public health system in the state.  

D.     Without any single investment by its own, KIMS got sanction of opening  its own hospital  and developing its own infrastructure  in four districts.

E.      It is irony that Public money ( State Fund)  is used  to strengthen private hospitals  by destroying Govt. hospitals  and Govt. health system.

F.       After  few  years,  the  common man will  survive at  the mercy  of  private  hospitals.

G.     As  the  Govt. maintains   utmost  secrecy  in respect  of  treatment  of COVID  patients , expenditure, details of  payments  in    COVID  hospital  managed   by  private  hospitals  like KIMS and there is no transparency  in the management  of COID Hospitals, it  will  no doubt provide huge profit  to private hospitals.

Pradip Pradhan

M-9937843482

Date-4.7.20

Memo submitted to Chief Secretary on Appointment of OIC and Odisha Lokayukta Rules

Memorandum submitted  to Cheif Secretary, Govt. of Odisha  for  immediate  appointment  of Information Commissioner  in vacancy  post,  formulation of  Odisha Lokayukta Rules, Protection of RTI Activists  in Odisha 

Odisha Soochana Adhikar Ahijan

Plot No.-D-27, Maitree Vihar, Post-Rail Vihar, Bhubaneswar

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To

The Chief Secretary                                                                                                        Date- 3.7.20

Govt. of Odisha

Bhubaneswar

Sub- Memorandum for enforcing transparency and accountability in the administration.

Sir

We  the RTI Activists and members of Odisha Soochana Adhikar Abhijan  holding public demonstration at Lower PMG, Bhubaneswar   to air  our  grievance , hereby put forth  the following demands in order to enforce  transparency  and accountability  in the administration of the state.

A.      Appointment of State Information Commissioner in the vacancy post

RTI Act which is being implemented since 2005 has empowered citizens to exercise their right  to access information held under public authorities.  It has the mandate to enforce transparency and accountability in the administration and to  contain corruption. In case  of violation of RTI Act, the State Government has constituted  Odisha State Commission under section 15 of the Act    to  hear and  adjudicate  complaints and Second Appeal cases in order  to give justice to the appellants/ complainants and punish the erring PIOs.   But adjudication of  the cases gets  delayed  for years together  due to long  vacancy in the post of Information Commissioners. Cases  filed  in 2016  are  being listed now  for  hearing in 2020 by the  Commission i.e., after 5 years of filling  the case. The long delay in hearing has not only  frustrated appellants but also encouraged  the erring PIOs to continue  to deny the  information. It has damaged  prospect of RTI Act  in the state. This  problem is attributed   due  to non-appointment of Information Commissioners.   Presently ,  State Chief Information Commissioner  and State Information Commissioner  are  loaded  with more  than 12000 cases  for disposal.  In order to enforce appointment  of Information Commissioners in vacancy post created so far, the State Govt. has released two advertisements dated 24.6.2019 and 18.3.20 inviting applications  for selection of  candidates  for the said  posts. But  the selection process is seen halted  due  to unknown reasons. We , therefore  request  you  to expedite  the procession of selection and ensure appointment of atleast two Information Commissioners  in the state.

B.      Enactment of Odisha Lokayukta Rules

After a long fight  by Social Activists and intervention of the Supreme Court,  the State  Govt. constituted Odisha Lokayukta with appointment and Chairman and three members  in March, 2019. No dout, this is a welcome step  of the state Govt.  putting  in place an independent body  for  direct inquiry and investigation   into allegation of  corruption and irregularities  in  the administration. As per  section 57  of Odisha Lokayukta Act, the State Govt. is required to  frame Odisha Lokayukta Rules  for  effective implementation of the Odisha Lokayukta Act. But  though one year has passed, the state Govt. has not yet framed  Rules   required  to carry out  various provisions of the Odisha Lokayukta Act.  The Lokayukta as well as complainants are facing  a lot  of  problems starting  from filling of complaints  to  conducting preliminary  inquiry and final adjudication of the cases.  We, therefore request  you  to take  steps  immediately  for enactment of Odisha Lokayukta Rules.

C. Functional of RTI Cell at State Secretariat Reception Counter

In order to facilitate the receipt of RTI Allocations by the Information-seekers to various Dept.  of the state secretariat, the State Got. has opened  a RTI Cell at reception counter.   The RTI Applications withou facing any hurdles were seen submitting  their RTI Applications  at the Cell and taking  acknowledgement receipt and  money receipts . But due to COVID-19 lockdown,  this RTI Cell  has been closed  for  unknown periods. The State Govt. has neither made any notification about this closure  nor made any    alternate arrangements  for  submission of RTI Applications.  As  it is  seen,  the RTI Applicants are  facing a lot  of problems  to file RTI Application  and  facing  financial  constraints  by sending it by post. We, therefore  demand  that  this RTI Cell  should  be opened  at  the earliest  or any alternate arrangements  to be made in order  to help  the  citizens to file  their RTI Applications  to the Departments of the State Secretariat.

D. Attack  on RTI Activists is  rising  day  by day.   Within period of two  months, two RTI Activists  were murdered and  the police  is seen  silent  without  conducting any inquiry  into  murder of Ranjan Kumar Das of Kendrapara  district.  Police inquiry into murder of  Ahimanyu Panda, RTI Activist of Kondhamal  was  not properly  inquired , as  the  conspirators are seen scot-free. During COVID-19 lockdown, a number of RTI Activists have been threatened , mercilessly beaten up  , harassed with  false case filed  against them in local police station. The FIRs  filed  by the  RTI Activist are not  duly  registered  and inquiry  conducted. We, therefore request  you  to  direct all police stations to  provide  protection to RTI Activists and   immediate register  complaints filed  by the RTI Activists and take action accordingly.

Thanking  you

Yours  sincerely

Pradip Pradhan

State Convener

M-9937843482

Sanjukta Panigarhi

Srikant Pakal

Jitendra Sahu

Pratap Mohanty

Alaya Samantaray

Prakash Ch. Das