The World Bank revealed the name of corrupt Health Minister from Orissa on Thursday, for allegedly taking bribe from an agent during implementation of the Orissa Health Systems Development Project (OHSDP).
After the Orissa government’s putting pressure, the World Bank named former Health Minister Bijoyshree Routray, who allegedly accepted bribe of Rs 5 lakh from an agent by showing undue favour to a firm.
A five-member team of World Bank led by John A Roome was investigating the charges of corruption in the implementation of the 77 million dollar for a Health System Development Project.
“The World Bank officials, who visited the State during the day, informed that it was former Health Minister Bijoyshree Routray, who accepted a sum of Rs 5 lakh from an agent in July 2005 as bribe,” said Ajit Kumar Tripathy, the State Chief Secretary.
Tripathy told media persons that the alleged agent had accepted the illegal indulgence of the then Health Minister before the Bank in December 2005.
Though the Bank officials had not mentioned Routray’s name, instead mentioned he was the minister when the alleged bribe was paid. The Bank disclosed the incident in December 2005 while reviewing the reproductive and child health project. However, it was the pressure, which forced the Bank to reveal the name of the minister.
Laced with foolproof evidence, the World Bank team also met the Vigilance Department officials and handed over relevant documents pertaining to the alleged wrongdoings by the minister committed in the implementation of the health systems development project.
However the former Health Minister, Routray said that he was encompassing by his political adversaries hatching conspiracy against him.
"Why the chief secretary has not come up with any answers to other charges. Why suddenly when no date or name has been mentioned? Why has he come up with my name? My understanding is that it is a complete conspiracy to save somebody and make me the scapegoat," said Routray.
The objective of the health scheme was to improve health care delivery in about 156 primary and secondary hospitals to increase the overall efficiency in the distribution of healthcare needs.
The Health Programme was launched in September 18, 1998 and was scheduled to be implemented in five years, but low utilisation of funds reduced the area of the project and delayed of project implementation cost the state government Rs 110 crore and was closed in 2006.
A detailed implementation review (DIR) report of the World Bank into the Rs 415.60 crore ($76.4 million) Orissa Health System Development Project (OHSDP) stated that a health minister and some officials had taken Rs.5,00,000 in bribes to give undue favours to a particular firm.
Meanwhile Chief Minister Naveen Patnaik had ordered a vigilance inquiry into the scam on January 19 and said that stringent action would be taken against the persons found guilty in the matter.
Earlier after the publication of the DIR report, the state government had formed a three-member panel headed by Tripathy to probe the corruption charges.
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