100 more docs to face action in NRHM scam

State govt is acting on assurance it gave to court, hearing today

The Uttar Pradesh government on Tuesday said action will be taken against 100 more doctors involved in the National Rural Health Mission scam.

UP health minister Ahmad Hasan said the state government has given prosecution sanction against 27 health department employees, including 22 doctors on Sunday night and now similar action would be taken against 100 more doctors.

He said due to complicated legal procedure, prosecution sanction against 27 accused in the scam was delayed.

The minister said any person found guilty in the NRHM scam would not be spared.

The state government on August 23 gave an undertaking in the Lucknow bench of Allahabad High Court to take a decision on prosecution sanction against 34 public servants allegedly involved in NRHM scam in Lucknow chief medical officer office.

Principal secretary medical and health Sanjay Agarwal gave the undertaking before the bench of Justice Imtiyaz Murtaza and Justice Ashwani Kumar Singh after he was summoned for personal appearance.

Following the undertaking by the government, the court had fixed August 29 as the next date of hearing.

The CBI also filed an affidavit that it would take 30 days to complete investigation into alleged irregularities in procurement of medicines at CMO office Lucknow.

Earlier, the CBI pleaded before the court that prosecution sanction of 34 doctors and other staff, including former CMO Lucknow A K Shukla was pending with the government since May this year.