BHUBANESWAR: Even as the Odisha government has been pushing hard to improve the health infrastructure in the state, several projects have remained a non-starter due to confusion over the executing agency. Several health infrastructure projects of around `4,466 crore are underway in different parts of the state apart from the select district headquarters hospitals, sub-divisional hospitals and CHCs that have been taken up for upgradation for `750 crore under the transformation initiative - Ama Hospital.
Health department sources said the projects funded by the 15th Finance Commission, National Health Mission (NHM), state budget, Prime Minister Ayushman Bharat Health Infrastructure Mission (PM-ABHIM) and Odisha Mineral Bearing Area Development Corporation (OMBADC) in most of the districts are on the drawing board or tendering stage. With only three months left in the financial year, the projects are unlikely to be completed as targeted.
Most of the chief district medical and public health officers have not yet submitted the projects to the Rural Development (RD) division concerned for the preparation of detailed project reports (DPRs) as they are in doubt regarding the executing agency. As decided recently, the Health department projects (PHCs and sub-centres) will be executed by the RD department instead of the Panchayati Raj and Drinking Water (PR&DW) department which was the earlier practice.
The engineers of the RD department have also expressed helplessness in the preparation of DPRs in respect to large-scale projects within the timeline due to a shortage of manpower. Sources said some of the projects could not be executed due to land disputes and other related issues.
Health authorities, however, said the districts have been asked to expedite the process and immediately transfer the non-started projects assigned to PR&DW department. In case the tender is floated or finalised, the projects will be executed and completed by the PR&DW department.
A senior official of the Health department said all field-level health and line department authorities have already been intimated about the changes in the executing agency (department). They have been asked to ensure the floating of tenders by the end of December and commence the groundwork by February 15 in view of the code of conduct for the ensuing elections next year. All Line departments will have to book maximum expenditure by March 31 and submit the required utilisation certificates to get funds further, he added.
REASONS FOR DELAY
Most CDMOs and PHOs have not yet submitted the projects to the RD division concerned for preparation of DPRs
Health dept projects will be executed by the RD department instead of PR&DW dept which was the earlier practice
RD dept engineers have expressed helplessness in preparation of DPRs in respect of large-scale projects within the timeline due to staff shortage
Some of the projects could not be executed due to land disputes and other related issues