Govt fails to meet MMR, IMR goals

Gujarat government has failed in achieving the intended goal of bringing down the Maternal Mortality Rate (MMR) and Infant Mortality Rate (IMR) by March 2010.

These were the remarks made by the Comptroller and Auditor General of India (CAG) in its report for the year 2009-10.

The report, which was tabled in the state assembly today, noted, "Despite the state government launching the Chiranjeeevi Yojana in 2005-06, the state could not reduce its MMR from 3.89:1000 in 2005-06 to 1:1000 by 2009-10 and IMR from 57:1000 to 30:1000 by the year 2009-10."

The scheme was launched by the state government in the public private partnership (PPP) for the first time.

However, CAG noted that in 40 per cent (93 out of a total 231) talukas of the state, no empanelled private practitioner had joined the Yojana even in the fifth year after its launch. And in those cases where there were empanelled private practitioners, the system had failed.

"Chief District Health Officers had not established a system for cross-checking of BPL claims furnished by Empanelled Private Practitioners under the Yojana, in the absence of which, there was a risk of processing of bogus and fraudulent claims," said the report.

Of the total grant of Rs 134.18 crore released under the programme by the state government, nearly 36 per cent or roughly around Rs 48.6 crore remained unutilized as of March 31, 2010.