Maharashtra nursing council alleges fraud
Ranjana Diggikar| TNN | Aug 31, 2016, 07.03 AM IST
AURANGABAD: The Maharashtra Nursing Council (MNC) has alleged misappropriation of Rs 225 crore by the office-bearers of Indian Nursing Council (INC) since last 15 years through violation of mandatory direction of Union government and various legal provisions.
The MNC has approached the Union health ministry and demanded independent inquiry into the functioning of the INC. They have also sought the removal of the president, vice-president and the office-bearers concerned. They have also sought immediate appointment of an administrator from nursing profession.
Speaking to TOI, INC president T Dileep Kumar refuted the allegations and said that if ever there were financial irregularities, they would have reflected in the financial audit. He also said the INC has not been violating any norms and is strictly following all the council regulations and rules.
MNC president Ramling Mali, a letter forwarded to the health ministry, stated that the implementation of PhD consortium by INC is illegal and beyond the source of power and jurisdiction of INC. More than Rs 50 crore has been taken from the World Health Organisation (WHO) by misrepresentation by INC office-bearers in 2005, he alleged.
INC is statutory body constituted to establish a uniform standard of training for nurses midwives and health visitors. They cannot exceed their scope of work beyond the Act. The INC is conducting PhD consortium without any authority or jurisdiction as per INC Act, 1947 and are receiving and spending funds, he further alleged.
However, Kumar said, "Considering the acute shortage of nursing faculty in under-graduate and post-graduate nursing programme in India, doctoral education is essential to prepare nurse scholars to work in intensive care unit. Hence, national consortium for PhD in nursing was constituted by INC in collaboration with Rajiv Gandhi University of Health Sciences and WHO under the faculty of nursing to promote doctoral education. A memorandum of understanding was signed with WHO for sharing technical skills and no funds have been procured in this regard."
The MNC also alleged misappropriation of over Rs 65 crore for purchasing property for a new building from INC funds in 2016. It is mandatory to float public tender for sale or purchase of any property by the government department and statutory body, the INC flouting the norms and spending more than Rs 65 crore without issuing any public e-tender or following due procedure stipulated by government or INC act 1947.
The letter also signed by Sangita Vikhe, member, INC, New Delhi and I T Thorat , chairman, vigilance committee of MNC also criticised about the implementation of National Unique Identification (NUID) Registration of nurses. INC indulged in misappropriation of Rs 15-20 crore for NUID registration of nurses without any necessity as this function is already performed by each state council.
However, INC floated tenders for the registration of nurses worth Rs 15 to 20 crore. The data should be collected from each state council as per the INC Act, but the INC secretary, president, vice president and some office bearers are functioning in collusion without sharing any details to the INC members, they alleged.
"The NUID registration of nurses is an approved programme of the health ministry in which INC will provide unique identity card to registered nurses and midwives. This is basically to identify active nurses in India," said Kumar.
The MNC chief also made allegations that INC is being run on the whims and fancies of the president, secretary and joint secretary. "Despite repeated request to share the required documents, the officials did not provide any information and documents to the INC members. They are failing to maintain transparency," said Mali.
Despite repeated attempts, health ministry secretary C K Mishra could not be contacted.
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AURANGABAD: The Maharashtra Nursing Council (MNC) has alleged misappropriation of Rs 225 crore by the office-bearers of Indian Nursing Council (INC) since last 15 years through violation of mandatory direction of Union government and various legal provisions.
The MNC has approached the Union health ministry and demanded independent inquiry into the functioning of the INC. They have also sought the removal of the president, vice-president and the office-bearers concerned. They have also sought immediate appointment of an administrator from nursing profession.
Speaking to TOI, INC president T Dileep Kumar refuted the allegations and said that if ever there were financial irregularities, they would have reflected in the financial audit. He also said the INC has not been violating any norms and is strictly following all the council regulations and rules.
MNC president Ramling Mali, a letter forwarded to the health ministry, stated that the implementation of PhD consortium by INC is illegal and beyond the source of power and jurisdiction of INC. More than Rs 50 crore has been taken from the World Health Organisation (WHO) by misrepresentation by INC office-bearers in 2005, he alleged.
INC is statutory body constituted to establish a uniform standard of training for nurses midwives and health visitors. They cannot exceed their scope of work beyond the Act. The INC is conducting PhD consortium without any authority or jurisdiction as per INC Act, 1947 and are receiving and spending funds, he further alleged.
However, Kumar said, "Considering the acute shortage of nursing faculty in under-graduate and post-graduate nursing programme in India, doctoral education is essential to prepare nurse scholars to work in intensive care unit. Hence, national consortium for PhD in nursing was constituted by INC in collaboration with Rajiv Gandhi University of Health Sciences and WHO under the faculty of nursing to promote doctoral education. A memorandum of understanding was signed with WHO for sharing technical skills and no funds have been procured in this regard."
The MNC also alleged misappropriation of over Rs 65 crore for purchasing property for a new building from INC funds in 2016. It is mandatory to float public tender for sale or purchase of any property by the government department and statutory body, the INC flouting the norms and spending more than Rs 65 crore without issuing any public e-tender or following due procedure stipulated by government or INC act 1947.
The letter also signed by Sangita Vikhe, member, INC, New Delhi and I T Thorat , chairman, vigilance committee of MNC also criticised about the implementation of National Unique Identification (NUID) Registration of nurses. INC indulged in misappropriation of Rs 15-20 crore for NUID registration of nurses without any necessity as this function is already performed by each state council.
However, INC floated tenders for the registration of nurses worth Rs 15 to 20 crore. The data should be collected from each state council as per the INC Act, but the INC secretary, president, vice president and some office bearers are functioning in collusion without sharing any details to the INC members, they alleged.
"The NUID registration of nurses is an approved programme of the health ministry in which INC will provide unique identity card to registered nurses and midwives. This is basically to identify active nurses in India," said Kumar.
The MNC chief also made allegations that INC is being run on the whims and fancies of the president, secretary and joint secretary. "Despite repeated request to share the required documents, the officials did not provide any information and documents to the INC members. They are failing to maintain transparency," said Mali.
Despite repeated attempts, health ministry secretary C K Mishra could not be contacted.
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