Ajay Sharma
Rajouri, June 1: Questioning accountability and transparency in the functioning of government departments, the Northlines has apparently exposed the ‘white-lie’ of Chief Medical Officer (CMO) Rajouri, who claimed that there are no attachments.
According to reports, the issue came to light during a recent public darbar chaired by the Deputy Commissioner Rajouri, where the CMO was asked whether any attachments existed within the department.
“CMO denied the existence of any attachments in the department,” said sources.
However, a list in possession of The Northlines, reveals that at least eight employees from different blocks and health institutions are attached to the CMO office or other locations.
Sources alleged that several employees posted in different health institutions have allegedly remained attached to the office of the Chief Medical Officer (CMO) Rajouri for years, despite drawing salaries from their original places of posting.
The alleged list includes employees from Darhal, Sunderbani, Nowshera and Kandi blocks, including dental staff, laboratory technicians, field workers and ministerial employees. Some of them are alleged to have remained attached away from their original postings for periods ranging from two to six years.
Sources said that CMO must justify the biometric attendance, salary disbursement and physical presence of the employees at their parent institutions.
“While salaries are being drawn from their original postings, the employees have allegedly not been performing duties there for years,” said sources, adding that particular concern has been expressed over the functioning of health institutions in remote blocks such as Sunderbani and Nowshera, where shortages of technical and medical staff directly affect patient care.
Residents and activists have demanded verification of attendance records, CCTV footage and phone location data to establish whether the employees were actually present at their designated workplaces.
Locals have urged the district administration to conduct an impartial inquiry into the matter and fix accountability if any irregularities are found.
