New Delhi: Air conditioners, LCD monitors and furniture were found to have been purchased from welfare funds meant for procuring HIV/AIDS awareness tools for paramilitary jawans in alleged violation of norms in the medical wing of the Home Ministry.
Sources said an internal inquiry is currently underway after few Directors (Medical) of various forces wrote objecting to the procurement made in such a manner.
The procurement was made in 2010 by the office of the Additional Director General (Medical) located at the ITBP base hospital in South Delhi.
According to the records of the utilisation of the budget accessed by a news agency, two split ACs (two tonnes) worth Rs 75,000 each, two LCD monitors -- 32 inches (Rs 32,000) and 42 inches (Rs 75,000), crockery items costing Rs 29,000, candle stand and canvas paintings worth Rs 15,000 were procured by the medical wing in alleged violation of the norms for which the funds were allocated by the Home Ministry.
The purchase documents revealed that a balance budget of Rs 5 lakh was meant "only for procurement of items for audio visual aids and other items for HIV/AIDS action plan set up at the nucleus of the referral hospital at base hospital ITBP camp in New Delhi."
Sources in paramilitary forces said the funds were allocated to the MHA under a World Health Organisation programme aimed to combat the HIV/AIDS menace among the personnel and officials of border guarding/paramilitary forces like the CRPF, BSF, CISF, ITBP, SSB, NSG and the Assam Rifles.
The cost of the items have since been paid through bills and a banker cheque to various vendors by the top medical office of the MHA.
Among the other items that were procured under the same fund include office table, visitor chair, executive chair, centre table worth Rs 14,0000, sofa set (teak wood), corner display unit and cabinet for Rs 95,000, furnishing fabric Rs 23,000 and miscellaneous items like handle fitting, polish work, flower vase, acrylic desk and planters for Rs 16,000.
The total bill stands at Rs five lakh.
Interestingly, all the procured items, under the HIV/AIDS awareness kit procurement head, now adorn the office of the ADG (Medical) at the ITBP camp here.
Sources said that no audio visual aid was created at this office, as mandated under the sanctioned budget, as already an HIV/AIDS centre for the troopers of paramilitary forces exists at the Indo-Tibetan Border Police (ITBP) base hospital, which functions from the same building.
The medical wing of the MHA is headed by the ADG (Medical) who supervises a large chain of unit-level and base-level hospitals of these forces spread across the country.
PTI
