After CAG rap,NRHM to get estimates of construction cost vetted

As per a government order issued earlier this month by the principal secretary,health,Praveer Kumar,in the second phase of NRHM,the executive committee of NRHM will send the cost estimates to PFAD for approval,irrespective of the cost of construction.

“The procedure for getting proposals vetted by an independent agency was not laid down in the rules of NRHM,” a senior health department official said.

As per the new arrangement,the feasibility test of construction and selection of working agency for construction is to be done by NRHM’s executive committee.

The working agency will prepare initial estimates of construction work as per the prevalent schedule of rate of PWD. The mission director,NRHM will then examine the proposal and send it to PFAD for evaluation.

Keeping in mind the guidelines of the central government,PFAD will vet the proposal and arrive at the cost of construction.

The said cost will then be sent to the state executive panel of NRHM for

approval.

Once approved,the mission director,NRHM,will grant the financial acceptance to the proposals,before sending them to Director General,Medical and Health for implementation. Henceforth,the estimates need not be sent to the finance expenditure committee of the state government for approval,the order said.

The construction work under NRHM had come under scrutiny after financial anomalies were unearthed in 2011-12.

The CAG,in its report on state’s NRHM from 2005 to 2011,had stated that major works under NRHM in its first phase were not vetted by PFAD or any technical agency.

It added this led to an excess expenditure of Rs 87.17 crore in construction work for 2009-10 alone,due inflated estimates.