CBI questions two Odisha Health dept officials on MoUs with Seashore

Odisha Sun Times Bureau
Bhubaneswar, Dec 11:

Two officials of the Odisha government’s Health and Family Welfare department today reported at the CBI office here with a host of documents in connection with the department’s association with the ponzi firm Seashore Group, a major player in the multi-thousand crore chit fund scam in the state.

Sources said the Health department officials – section officer SK Nayak and desk officer JM Patnaik – are being questioned by the central investigating agency in connection with the MoUs signed by the department with the Seashore Group. Interrogation of the officials was continuing more than an hour and a half after they went in.

The Seashore Group had taken up the management of seven primary health centres in the state. Under its Corporate Social Responsibility (CSR) schemes, the Group had entered into MoUs with the National Rural Health Mission (NRHM) for providing healthcare in some backward areas of the state.

The Group was managing seven PHCs-  three in Cuttack district, one in Kendrapara and two in Baleswar. Moreover, the Group was also running canteens in some hospitals after its tourism wing entered into agreements with the state government’s Health department.

This apart, the Group had an eye hospital, an ayurvedic hospital and the state government had also approved several drugs/medicines manufactured by one of the Group companies for supply to hospitals in the state.

The CBI is learnt to be interrogating the two officials on these matters. Sources in the CBI have also indicated that some senior officials will be also summoned for questioning on the department’s deals with the tainted Group.