Mohinder Verma
JAMMU, Nov 16: In a major setback to the healthcare facilities, the Finance Department of the State Government has diverted funds released by the Union Government under its flagship programme of National Health Mission. In this way, the Government has accorded most trivial treatment to the health sector, which otherwise was projected as priority area.
Reliable sources in the Civil Secretariat told EXCELSIOR that for the first time ever since the launch of National Health Mission (previously called National Rural Health Mission) in Jammu and Kashmir, the Union Ministry of Health and Family Welfare sanctioned whopping Rs 500 crore for the State under this flagships programme during the current financial year.
This sharp increase was granted keeping in view the performance of concerned authorities of Jammu and Kashmir in undertaking health sector reforms, timely utilization of funds and adherence to the conditions imposed by the Department of Expenditure of the Union Finance Ministry.
This can be gauged from the fact that in 2012-13 financial year, the assistance under this flagship programme was just to the tune of around Rs 200 crore and same was increased to Rs 398 crore in 2013-14. The Union Government, while increasing assistance to J&K, had expected that the healthcare facilities would further improve in the State.
The State Government was also informed about the new mechanism adopted by the Union Government for release of funds under this Centrally Sponsored Scheme whereby it was decided to adopt treasury route for transfer of funds instead of directly releasing to the State Health Society, sources informed.
The first installment of Rs 113 crore (out of over Rs 500 crore annual plan) was transferred to a particular head of account in the treasury of J&K on July 22 for further release to the State Health Society and subsequent transfer to the District Health Societies. Shockingly, only an amount of Rs 28 crore has so far been released to the State Health Society despite the lapse of nearly four months, sources informed.
Though the State Health Ministry brought this serious issue to the notice of the Finance Department a number of times and made request for release of funds transferred by the Union Ministry, the situation continued to remain same despite the fact that Rs 28 crore was not even sufficient to meet the salary component, they said. Due to inordinate delay in release of funds to the State Health Society even entire staff engaged under NHM has not received pending salary till date, sources regretted.
“Whenever State Health Ministry tried to ascertain the reason behind inordinate delay in transfer of funds released by the Union Government, the officers of the Treasuries Department simply conveyed that they don’t have funds”, sources further said, adding “this clearly indicates that the Finance Department diverted the funds meant for the healthcare facilities to other sectors in blatant violation of the guidelines laid down in the National Health Mission”.
It is pertinent to mention here that Union Government has specified time frame for transfer of funds released to the State under treasury route to the concerned authorities for utilization on ground and withholding of funds is clear violation of this stipulation.
According to the sources, due to non-utilization of first installment owing to inordinate delay in transfer of funds to the State Health Society, the Union Ministry of Health and Family Welfare has not released 2nd and 3rd installments under National Health Mission as a result of which all the activities under Janani Shishu Suraksha Karyakaram (JSSK), Janani Suraksha Yojana (JSY), Rashtriya Bal Swastha Karyakaram (RBSK) etc have suffered a lot during the current financial year.
“The authorities under State Health Ministry responsible for implementation of National Health Mission have been feeling handicapped in the absence of funds”, sources said, adding “if the funds released under first installment are not kept at the disposal of the State Health Society at the earliest the progress registered during the past some years under this Centrally Sponsored Scheme would receive serious dent”.
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