Health dept spent over Rs 85.03 lakh on Central scheme but never asked for reimbursement: CAG

The scheme was introduced in the city in August 2011 and funds were to be provided under the National Rural Health Mission. The expenditure under NRHM was to be shared by the Centre and the UT Administration in the ratio of 85:15 during the 11th five-year plan and 75:25 in the 12th five-year plan.

In the financial year 2013-14, the Director of Health Services released Rs 2.50 crore as 25 per cent share of the administration for NRHM.
“It was noticed in the audit that on one side the department is paying a huge amount on account of its share to NRHM, and on the other side the department is also spending a huge amount on JSSK scheme since its existence in 2011 on deliveries, medicines, diet etc,” the audit report says.

“A scrutiny of records revealed that the department spent over Rs 85.03 lakh on JSSK scheme from its own budget during the year 2013-14. The same practice had been going on in the previous years as well even though a separate budget was allocated for JSSK in the NRHM,” notes the report.

The audit report says that the department neither raised the demand to recover the amount from NRHM, nor deducted it from the UT’s share of NRHM. “If the amount was recovered or deducted, the same could have been utilised in providing better healthcare services to the masses,” the report adds.

However, Dr Vandana Gupta, joint mission director of NRHM, said, “There is a limited funding from the Central government under NRHM. We ask for financial help from them for major expenditure, but other expenses are paid from hospital budget only.”