KOCHI: The audit report for 2016-17 of the State Audit Department which failed to point out gross irregularities in the scheme for higher studies for SC students abroad of Ernakulam District Panchayat, however, has pointed out gross irregularities in the implementation of scheme for buying equipment at the District Hospital at Aluva, which is also under the panchayat. Moreover it points out that the construction of both the general and gynecology operation theatres at the hospital has not been completed. According to the report, under three projects in the year 2016-17, a sum of Rs 71.94 lakh was spent on buying equipment at the K Karunakaran Memorial operation theatre at the hospital.
Out of this, a sum of Rs 19.68 lakh was spent on buying certain equipment from the Kerala Medical Service Corporation Limited (KMSCL) while a UPS was bought from M S Meditech, Mavelikkara, for Rs 1.36 lakh. The audit report says that neither the file nor the stock register denotes that these equipment have been made available. According to the panchayat expense records on the project a total of Rs 44.94 lakh has been spent in the first one of the three projects.
The audit enquiry given on November 17, 2017, seeking details of encashing bills and spending amounts in this regard has met with mute response, the report notes.
The audit report also says that though Rs 12 lakh has been given to KMSCL through account transfer for supplying 100 KVA diesel generator, the same has not been supplied so far. This forms the second project. In the third part of the project the KMSCL was given Rs 14.99 lakh for supplying OT light, anesthesia work station, OT table, autoclave machine and multi-parameter monitor on March 29 and 31, 2017. There are no records to show that the same has been supplied. The query in this regard met with the answer that the money was given to the government institution KMSCL so that the plan fund does not get lapsed. The report notes that the entire equipment for Rs 71.94 lakh has been bought for an operation theatre, the construction of which has not been completed. It seeks urgent steps to complete the project.
The work on the gynecology operation theatre with a huge outlay of Rs 1 crore was started in 2014-15 but it has also not been completed. Out of the four segments of civil and electrical works, laminar flow ac and special work, the audit report finds that only the civil and electrical works have been completed. When the project implementation faced technical hurdles in the first three segments and the contractor refused to effect necessary changes, a closure agreement was executed but the project has not been retendered. The special work has also not been tendered. The audit report demands steps to complete the project.
