Corruption in appointment of System Manager in OSCB

 

Corruption and  irregularities  in terms of  show  of  undue  favour by  officials  of  Odisha State  Cooperative bank  in appointment  of 14  no. of system Managers in OSCB IN 2013-14.

 ·         This  corruption took place  when Mr. Bishnupada Sethy  was  Management-in-Charge , Odisha State  Cooperative Bank  and  Tusar Kanti Panda  was Managing  Director.

 ·         After  preliminary  inquiry, State Vigilance  sought  sanction  from  Govt. for  open  inquiry.

 ·         The  Chief Minsiter  refused  to give sanction  and  ordered  for Departmental  inquiry in Dec. 2020.  

 ·         Nothing happened . As  per RTI  information,   the  inquiry  is  still  under  process.

 ·         Moot  question is  how  the  Vigilance  was  denied  to  conduct  inquiry.

 ·         Was  it  fact  that  it was  desgined  to suppress  inquiry  in name  of  Departmental  Inquiry.

 ·         We are  still waiting  to know  the  result  of the  inquiry.

 1.On 13.6.2013 , just  after  appointment  of Bishnupada Sethy  as  Management –in-Charge  in Odisha  State  Cooperative Bank (from 5^th February, 2013 and continued upto 2016), Managing  Director, OSCB  issued adertisment  for  appointment  of 14 no. of system Managers  in the  officer  cadre of the  Bank with  the  following qualification i) B Tech /MSC  in Computer SC/MCA with  2 years  of experience , 2) age should not  be  less  than 21 years  or more  than 32 years as on 1.4.13.

 2. Accordingly , many  applicants  applied  for the  post. But  the  officials  of OSCB  who were  dealing with the recruitment  showed undue favour  to 14 no. of candidates  by selecting  them for the  post, though  they were  not  having  requisite  qualification.

 3. Previously,  the  Institute  of Banking Personal  Selection ( IBPS)  which is a recognized body  for recruitment  of officers  had  recruited Assistant  Managers  for  the Bank. But  violating  the existing procedure , the Bank  officials  under  guidance  of Mr. Bishnupada sethy  themselves  conducted  the  recruitment  and  selected  14 nos. of system Manager for  different  Cooperative banks.   

 4. After  the  allegation of irregularities, the   State  Vigilance conducted  a secret  investigation  and found the  allegation true. After  finding  prima facie  of the case, on 3^rd December, 2019,  the  Vigilance  to the  letter  to  Govt. seeking sanction   of the Govt.  for  open inquiry.  As per  the  file noting,  the  Chief  Minister rejected  request  of the  Vigilance and   ordered  for  the  departmental inquiry  on 12.12.2019.

 5. On 1.1.20, the General Administration ( Vigilance ) department  wrote  a letter  to  the  Secretary, department  of  Cooperation  to  conduct   departmental  inquiry into allegation of  undue  favour  shown for the  appointment of 14 no. of system manager.

 6. On 16.1.20, the Secretary, Department of Cooperation wrote  a letter  to  Registrar of  Cooperative Societies  to Conduct an inquiry  into the matter.

 7. On 22.2.20, the  RCS, Odisha  authorized  Assistant  Registrar  of  Cooperative  Societies  to  conduct  an inquiry  and submit  the  report within one  month.

 8. After  one year,  I filed  RTI  Application  dt. 12.4.21  to the  PIO, Department  of  Cooperation , Got. of Odisha  and  Office  of RCS, Odisha  seeking  the  following  information.

 i. Date   on which  the  inquiry  was  completed in connection  with illegal appointment  of  14 System Manager  by   Odisha State  Cooperative Bank

ii. Date   on which  the  inquiry  report  was  submitted  to the  Cooperation  department.

iii. Details  of  action taken  on the  inquiry  report  so far.

iv. Provide  copy  of the  inquiry report.  

 9. On 28.4.21, the  PIO , Dept. of  Cooperation  sent  a letter  stating  that “ inquiry  in connection with  illegal appointment  of 14 System Manager  by OSCB  is under  process. Hence  the  relevant  information  as sought for  can not be  supplied  as per section  8  of the RTI Act.”

 10. The PIO,  Office  of RCS, Odisha  has not  supplied the  information till yet.

 

Pradip  Pradhan

M-9937843482

Date- 16.5.21

KIMS emerged as biggest profiteering Private Hospital out of COVID Pandemic

 

KIMS  emerged  as  biggest  profiteering Private Hospital  out  of COVID Pandemic , promoted  by  Chief  Minister, Odisha

(  exposed  under RTI)

·         COVID  pandemic  situation was  used as  opportunity  by  Govt. of  Odisha  to  give maximum profit  to  Private  hospitals  at  the  cost  of Govt. hospital  in Odisha.

 ·         On 8^th April, Suresh Mohapatra, the then Development  Commissioner  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.

 ·         This draconian 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) .

 ·         This  profit (  Public Fund)  helped  Achyut Samant  to  expand  its   medical  business  to other  three  districts i.e,  Mayurbhanj , Kondhamal and  Bolangir.  He  succeeded  in opening  three KIMS ( Kalinga  Institute  of Medical Science)   hospital, Bhubaneswar  with  full  infrastructure  in name  of  providing  health service  to     COVID   patients.

 ·         When  millions  of  people  were  struggling  to  survive  and recover  from COVID  pandemic and  crying  for  food , Odisha  bureaucracy  was  busy  in  looting  COVID  fund  and  profiting  to  private  hospitals , besides  rendering  service  to COVID Patients.

 ·         96% of the total expenses ( Rs.  41 crore  ) reimbursed  to KIMS, Bhubaneswar  is  only  for  bed  charge  and rest  4% ( 2 crores )  expenses  for  patients charge ( consumable items). Such a huge profit was given to a private hospital by Odisha bureaucracy.

 ·         CAG Audit, if done  will no doubt  open Pandora’s  box  of  loot  of  public  fund  in name  of  management  of COVID  pandemic by  Govt. of Odisha.

 Dear friends

When State  Govt. declared 500  bedded  COVID  hospital each  ready  in KIMS  and  SUM Hospital in 1^st week of April,20  just  after   declaration  of COVID  lockdown with  media  showing  and highlighting  picture  of  Mr. V.K.Pandian  visiting  the  full-fledged COVID  hospitals,  I was  in doubt  how it  happened . Was  1000 bedded  Hospital  really required  for COVID  patient, when  not  a single COVID  patient  was  identified during that time .  I had  smelt  some  motive  behind  such  declaration.  In name  of   high profile preparation  for management  of COVID  situation, the  Odisha  bureaucracy  explored  opportunity of  giving  maximum  profit  to private  hospitals  by dragging PSUs into fold. PSUs  like  Odisha  Mining  Corporation was  used  to disburse  expenses  for  KIMS COVID  hospital of  KIIT.  Accordingly, immediately  in first week of April 20,  a tripartite  MOU  was  signed  with KIMS , Bhubaneswar   OMC  and  Govt. of  Odisha. Later  on circular  was  issued    chalking  out  modalities  for  giving  maximum  profit  to  private  hospital  in name  of  treatment  of COVID  patients.

Bed  charge (  Rs.3000 per General bed  and  Rs. 5000 per ICU bed )  was   consciously separated  from patients’ charge (  consumable items)  and sperately  caluculated  in order  to give  huge  benefit  to  KIMS. On 8^th April, Suresh Mohapatra, the then Development  Commissioner  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.   Accordingly  a district  level committee  was constituted to  finalise  the  fixed rental charge  ( on per bed  per day basis)  and expected  variable  cost  for  operation of  COVID  hospitals.

 

The  decision  “ per day  per bed  charge “ whether  it  is occupied  or  not”   profited  private  hospitals  hugely. The information provided by  Odisha Mining  Corporation  is as follows.

 

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

 

Pradip Pradhan

M-9937843482

Date – 13.5.21