The public health department has initiated a statewide investigation and financial audit of purchases made by all district malaria officers (DMOs) following reports of alleged irregularities. The audit will cover procurements made from 2017 to 2022, said officials on Saturday.
According to the officials, DMOs over the past six years have allegedly made purchases worth ₹60 crores from specific or single service providers without following the required tender process. The audit will specifically focus on purchases made for the National Vector Borne Disease Control Programme (NVBDCP).
Dr Sandeep Sangale, joint director of health services and head of vector borne diseases control programme, Maharashtra, ordered the inquiry on November 10 following directions from the commissioner of health services. The step was taken following a complaint filed by health activist Sharad Shetty.
Shetty had collected information under the Right to Information Act (RTI) from DMOs in 22 districts, including Pune, Nagpur, Palghar, Yavatmal, Nashik, Raigad, Buldhana and Jalgaon. He sought details of grants received under the district planning and development committee (DPDC), expenditure, tender procedures, and companies that received supply orders.
“The documents showed that most of them have not followed government rules. Same companies received repeated supply orders over several years, raising questions about transparency and fairness in the purchase process,” claimed Shetty.
{{/usCountry}}“The documents showed that most of them have not followed government rules. Same companies received repeated supply orders over several years, raising questions about transparency and fairness in the purchase process,” claimed Shetty.
{{/usCountry}}In his complaint filed on October 5, Shetty requested a special audit of all DMOs to uncover alleged financial irregularities.
Dr Sangale said, “Further action will be taken after receiving the report.”
According to officials, district malaria offices together receive more than ₹12 crore every year from DPDC funds through the district collectors for managing vector-borne diseases.
Government rules and a general resolution issued on May 7, 2021, state that any purchase above ₹5,000 must follow the tender process. However, preliminary findings indicate that several district offices did not follow these norms, an official on condition of anonymity said.