Due to short lifting of foodgrains by implementing agencies and non-release of allocated quota by the Food Corporation of India, 9.24 lakh children were deprived of the benefit of mid-day meal during 1996-2001.

Of Rs 10 crore released during 1996-2001 under MPLAD for 939 works recommended, only Rs 3.15 crore was utilized. The total number of works completed as on the date could not be furnished to audit.

The Chief Medical Officer of Health...is responsible for healthcare measures in the district. There are one district hospital, 2 sub-divisional hospitals, 3 rural hospitals, 16 block primary health centres, 54 primary health centres and 425 sub-centres in the district for extending general and specialist treatment to the urban and rural population of the district. A review of various aspects of the healthcare system in the district brought out various deficiencies. Evidently, the role of the CMOH in his monitoring and implementation had vast scope of improvement...

Upgradation of four BPHCs at Dubrajpur, Murarai, Labpur and Sainthia to RHs for imparting better healthcare and specialist treatment could not be extended for years together as a specialist medical officer was not posted and funds not provided for functioning as RH, and for non-notification of the opening of RHs and nondeclaration of the superintendent of RH as DDO. Expenditure of Rs 2.88 crore spent on the construction of three RHs between 1989-94 (Rs 201.07 lakh), salary of idle staff (Rs 70.33 lakh) and purchase of X-ray machines (Rs 16.33 lakh) which remained idle since installation between 1987 and 1995 became wasteful and did not serve the intended purpose of providing better healthcare to the rural population. The CMOH did not furnish the reasons for non-utilization.

A 20-bed TB hospital in Murarai block constructed at Rs 16 lakh was handed over to the block medical officer of health, Murarai, in 1990 by the public works department. No staff was posted since its handing over and one MO, who joined in July 1998, was utlized in CMOH’s office till his return to Calcutta in March 1999. The hospital building remained unutilized for over ten years.

Despite availability of necessary infrastructure and staff, the indoor beds in 59 PHCs remained unutilized which resulted in unfruitful expenditure of Rs 2.57 crore in idle staff during 1996-2001 while 3 PHCs were running without MOs, 2 BPHCs without a pharmacist, 5 PHCs without sweepers, affecting healthcare measures.

Medicines worth Rs 12.31 lakh were purchased between September 1999 and March 2001 by SDH Bolpur in violation of rules and orders and due to inconsistent assessment of requirement and consumption in DRS and SDH, Bolpur. Twenty medicines valuing Rs 4.46 lakh became time-barred for negligence of the storekeeper and hospital authorities.

The CMOH did not maintain stock account of equipment worth Rs 22.56 lakh for 1999-2000, while 17 items of equipment (Rs 27.39 lakh) received from SHSDP-II though not requisitioned by SDH Bolpur remained unutilized, indicating slack monitoring.