Indian Express 10.03.2010
Fund for public health scheme may now go to civic staff
Ajay Khape Tags : public health scheme, pune Posted: Wednesday, Mar 10, 2010 at 0352 hrs
Pune: Despite elaborate public health insurance plans of the Pune Municipal Corporation this year, a whopping Rs 2.67 crore has remained unused. This amount may now be used for medical reimbursement of the civic staff and elected representatives. A decision to this effect was taken by the civic body standing committee last week and will come up before the general body for ratification on March 19.Rs 2.62 crore has been earmarked for medical reimbursement of the civic staff. Under the same head, Rs 5 lakh will go to corporators. Various public schemes included senior citizen health insurance, insurance for cyclists, insurance for victims of natural calamities and allowance of Rs 100 for each blood bag for the public.
On February 28, 2009 the civic body had proposed a string of public health schemes for various sections of society and made relevant allocations. It made a provision of Rs 75 lakh for senior citizens’ health insurance scheme, Rs 34 lakh for Rajiv Gandhi Jan Arogya Suvidha Kendra, Rs 45 lakh for accident and natural calamity insurance.
“It is in bad taste. Money meant for public health insurance scheme should not be spent on civic staff and elected representatives,” said former cabinet secretary B G Deshmukh. “It is the responsibility of elected representatives along with the administration to take schemes to people and ensure that maximum citizens benefit. The civic body should work with NGOs to implement schemes,” he said.
“I need details of the proposal before commenting,” said Municipal Commissioner Mahesh Zagade. “It might be that it was the additional municipal commissioner who signed the proposal,” he said. PMC chief health officer R R Pardeshi said the civic administration could not be held responsible for poor public response to the schemes. They were not planned during my tenure and hence I cannot take responsibility of the money not spent,” said NCP corporator Nilesh Nikam, former standing committee chairman, whose tenure ended a few days back. “As the funds were not used for the originally allocated purposes, we felt it appropriate to divert them towards medical reimbursement of civic staff and elected representatives.”
Shiv Sena corporator, said, “... We are upset with the civic administration for not taking schemes to the public. There could have been many beneficiaries but the public was never made aware of the schemes.”
