GUNTUR: Lakhs of rupees of development funds have been misused in the Potti Sriramulu Area Government hospital at Bapatla in Guntur district. According to sources, the superintendent and resource persons were involved in the misuse of funds to the tune of Rs 50,19,820 at the hospital. The funds were allocated by the government for development works.According to preliminary reports, Rs 15-lakh scandal was unearthed by the district officials and they appointed a committee to conduct audit of funds released in the past two years.
Potti Sriramulu Area Hospital superintendent Dr Ashirwadam had outsourced employees Challa Subramanyam and Chiranjeevi who were allegedly involved in the fraud. They were diverting the funds meant for developmental works, Janani Suraksha scheme funds and special room fees collected from patients by enhancing the wages of outsourced staff without any approval of the higher authorities.
Dr Ashirwadam enhanced the wages of three persons and the amount was deposited in their accounts and further diverted the amount to other accounts for the past two years.The officials found the misuse of funds during the preliminary inquiry. Immediately, they transferred the superintendent, who was allegedly involved in the fraud, and handed over the charge to Dr Rasool, based on preliminary reports at the Area hospital in Bapatla. The officers, who conducted inquiry, suspected that the superintendent, with the support of other staff, had diverted hospital development funds to private accounts and misused them.
So, District Coordinator Dr Ch Prasanna Kumar informed the higher authorities and an audit committee was appointed to check the misuse of funds. The committee appointed unearthed a fraud to the tune of Rs 50,19,820 in the hospital.
Dr Ch Prasanna Kumar said that he had found misuse of funds after verification of the records of 2017-18 and 2018-19 financial years. He said that he had suspended superintendent Dr Ashirwadam, who was involved and issued notice to him.
The outsourced employees Subramanyam and Chiranjeevi were removed from services after unearthing the fraud. He said that the new superintendent Dr Rasool lodged a complaint in the urban police station of Bapatla for further inquiry on Friday. He said that the officers did not conduct audit of the area hospital for the past two years and taking advantage of the situation the trio committed the fraud. He would conduct internal audit to check any misuse of funds in the hospital.
Police complaint lodged against superintendent
District Coordinator Dr Ch Prasanna Kumar said that the new superintendent Dr Rasool lodged a complaint in the urban police station of Bapatla for further inquiry on Friday. He said that the officers did not conduct audit of the area hospital for the past two years. Taking advantage of the situation, the Superintendent and two outsourcing employees committed the fraud. While Superintendent Dr Ashirwadam was transferred, two outsourcing employees - Subramanyam and Chiranjeevi were removed from service