FIR against 17 Tripura officials for siphoning NHM fund

An FIR has been lodged against 17 Tripura government officials, including five chief medical officers (CMOs), in connection with the siphoning of National Health Mission (NHM) funds, officials said here on Wednesday.

The first information report named officials, including incumbent CMO Alok Dewan, 10 medical officers (MOs) and two health department officials.

The mission director of the NHM, Sandeep Namdeo Mahatme, lodged the FIR with the police in Unokoti district in northern Tripura on Tuesday after preliminary inquiry, a police officer said.

He said: "After a preliminary inquiry, the NHM authority found embezzlements of Rs.4.47 crore sanctioned by the union health and family welfare ministry during the past three years to implement different schemes and programmes."

A health department official said the mission director recently seized all relevant documents related to the NHM.

Meanwhile, following media reports on "misappropriation" of Rs.30 crore, the Tripura health and family welfare department recently ordered an inquiry into the wrongdoings of the central funds.

Senior Congress leader Birajit Sinha, who earlier filed an FIR with police about the siphoning of NHM funds, said his party would launch a state-wide movement unless proper inquiry was not done.