Law Kumar Mishra
Patna, August 22
Shocked to hear! But the National Rural Health Mission (NRHM) data in Bihar endorse it.
A resident of Chhoti Kothiya village of Mushahari block in Muzaffarpur district, 65-year-old Leela Devi’s youngest son is 20 years old. The official record of NRHM shows she has delivered 18 children in a year.
Leela Devi is not the only one to have thrown surprises. There are many women beneficiaries of the mission scheme who have 12 deliveries in a year Shanti Devi was shown as having eight children in a year.
All of them are from Mahadalit community.
In the village, 18 cases of irregular payment of NRHM incentive to the women, midwives and AASHA workers have been reported. Under the scheme, the beneficiary woman is entitled for Rs 1400 as incentive for institutional delivery while the midwife will get Rs 600 and AASHA worker Rs 400 for motivating women to go to the primary health centres.
Prima facie, community health centre operator Sushil Kumar has been found guilty for misappropriation of incentive money meant for the mahadalit women. He used to take thumb impression of women on the receipts of pension for the poor women scheme. The same impressions were used to siphon off NRHM incentives.
The government has decided to widen the scope of the investigation covering entire Muzaffarpur district. Director of health services has started an inquiry into the irregularities. District magistrate of Muzaffarpur, 80 kms north of state capital, had also set up a three-members inquiry committee headed by additional DM Rajesh Kumar and directed to submit the report by Monday.
Health Minister Mangal Pandey said those found guilty in the misappropriation of NRHM fund would be behind the cars.
In 2016 too, similar scam in NRHM had surfaced and in Aurai block of neighbouring Sitamarhi district where 750 such fake beneficiaries were found. In 2011, the then Civil Surgeon and six others were charge sheeted for swindling Rs 6.33 crores under NRHM.
