HCL’s NHRM scam

This is a typical example of how National Rural Health Mission, a flagship central government scheme initiated by the union Ministry of Health and Family Welfare, is marred by an unprecedented level of corruption. 85 percent of the scheme is funded by the central government and 15 per cent by the state government. It aims to provide accessible, affordable, effective and reliable healthcare to all citizens and in particular to the poorest and vulnerable sections of our population. But the beneficiaries are not the poor of our country. In one such case registered by the CBI (see boxes-A, B & C at pg 25 to 29), we get the real picture of how this public health programme is being abused.

For monitoring the implementation of the scheme, 951 computers, printers, etc., were to be procured for installation in the District Hospitals, Primary Health Centre and Community Health Centre. Shreetron India Ltd, a 100 per cent owned company of UP Electronics Corporation Ltd (UPECL) was authorised to procure the computers, etc. On July 17, 2009, Shreetron sent the detailed proposal with price to the state nodal agency – State Programme Management Unit (SPMU), NRHM, Lucknow. The very next day, SPMU issued the purchase order on Shreetron, and advance payment was given on July 29, 2009.