CAG report on Health department
SHILLONG: The Health and Family Welfare department has failed to make a drug testing laboratory functional even after eight years thereby rendering an expenditure of Rs 80.39 lakh unfruitful.
As per the report of the Comptroller and Auditor General (CAG) for the year ended March 31 2013, the Union Ministry of Health and Family Welfare in January 2003 had approved the strengthening and setting up of the State Drug Testing Laboratory (DTL) with the objective to esnure quality of drugs under Indian System of Medicine and Homeopathy.
The report stated that the Union Government had provided up to Rs 1 crore to set up new DTL, which was to be run with the State own resources and with the three Scientific Officers and four supporting staff adding that on the basis of the proposal of Meghalaya Government, the Union Government had sanctioned Rs 88.62 lakh in January 2004.
Out of the total amount which was sanctioned, the report stated that a total amount of Rs 25 lakh for building construction was earmarked. Moreover, Rs 57.66 lakh was for purchase of equipment, furniture, reference book and stationery and Rs 5.96 lakh for the manpower.
“The amount was supposed to be utilized within 12 months for setting of one DTL at Pasteur Institute, Shillong,” the report said.
The report also stated that the department took two years time for getting sanction from the State Finance department for inviting and finalizing tenders and issue of work order.
“Finally, the work order for construction of the building for DTL was issued only in 2006 at a cost of Rs 25 lakh. The facility was taken over by the Directorate of Health Services (DHS), Research in 2009,” the report stated adding that the delay of two and half years in taking over the facility was attributed by the engineer of Health and Engineering Wing in December 2013 to the delay in making payment and for execution of some minor works like wiring and painting.
According to the report, the Directorate of Health and Services (DHS) had incurred an expenditure of Rs 49.60 lakh on procurement of equipments and chemicals and Rs 5.79 lakh on payment of salaries to two Scientific Officers appointed in June 2010 on contract basis besides one Ayurvedic physician was posted to the DTL on September 2011.
“It was further noticed that a proposal to create two posts of Scientific Officers and six supporting staff required for effective functioning of the DTL was sent by the DHS to Union Government only in September 2011. Of this, two posts of Scientific Officers and five supporting staff were sanctioned by the Union Government only in October 2013. However, these posts are yet to be filled up,” the report stated.
While pointing out that there were delays at every stage right from completion of the DTL building and procurement of the equipments, the report stated that the DTL could not be made fully operational even after eight years of the stipulated date (January 2005) rendering the expenditure of Rs 80.39 lakh.
According to the report, the State Government in September 2013 had stated that most of the equipments required for the laboratory had been procured but did not furnish any reason for the delay of over eight years in making the laboratory fully operational.