Post News Network
Puri, May 2: A doctor who was involved in financial irregularities during his previous posting as Jeypore municipality health officer has been entrusted with several important assignments at the district headquarters hospital (DHH) here.
Sources said additional district medical officer (family planning) Kalyan Kumar Sarkar was indicted for financial irregularities during his tenure as Jeypore municipality health officer. The health department had shifted Sarkar from Jeypore to Puri DHH in 2012.
Sarkar had joined as district surveillance medical officerat the DHH here and was subsequently promoted to ADMO, sources added. An RTI application by social activist Dillip Kumar Baral revealed that the health department had recovered altogether Rs 1.68 lakh in 20 instalments from Sarkar’s salary during his previous posting. Besides, the health department has dues of `12.47 lakh on Sarkar in connection with the financial irregularities.
“The DHH has many honest and efficient doctors. But it is very difficult to understand why Sarkar was promoted to the ADMO’s post. Besides, he has been made nodal officer of the Nabakalebara health committee recently. The state government is going to spend a huge amount of funds through the recommendations of the Nabakalebara health committee. The department should keep an eye on the functioning of the committee,” Baral said.
According to Baral, crores of rupees were spent under the supervision of Sarkar during the last Rath Yatra of the presiding deities of Srimandir. However, the funds were supposed to be spent under the supervision of ADMO (public health) as per health department guidelines. “Sarkar has been assigned several important roles in violation of norms. He has been made caretaker chief district medical officer (CDMO) twice in the absence of the CDMO,” Baral said.
CDMO Gyanendra Sahu, however, came to Sarkar’s rescue. “Sarkar is a good administrator and has experience in handling important assignments,” Sahu said.
