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AIIMS effect: Central hospitals under lens
Health Minister says functioning under review to end corruption
Aditi Tandon
Tribune News Service

Chaturvedi row deepens A central vigilance commission manual hints that rules were bent in Sanjev Chaturvedi’s appointment as chief vigilance officer of AIIMS Chaturvedi, who has been removed, says he’s being harassed for exposing graft in AIIMS Health Minister Harsh Vardhan said it was unfortunate that a political slant was being given to Chaturvedi’s removal Will combat graft in hospitals There are many aspects to corruption in hospitals. If money is made in the allocation of beds or as kickbacks from suppliers, it’s sleaze. Equally corrupt is the practice of reserving beds/facilities for employees or VIPs. I intend to rectify these forms of corruption. Harsh Vardhan, health minister

New Delhi, August 23
The government on Saturday placed all systems at central hospitals, including AIIMS, under review to end corruption. The move comes days after removal of Haryana-cadre Indian Forest Services officer Sanjev Chaturvedi as Chief Vigilance Officer (CVO) of AIIMS.

For the first time, the government admitted to corruption in government hospitals. Health Minister Harsh Vardhan said: “There are many aspects to corruption in hospitals. If money is made in the allocation of beds or as kickbacks from suppliers, it’s sleaze. Equally corrupt is the practice of reserving beds/facilities for employees or VIPs. I intend to rectify these forms of corruption.”

On Chaturved’s removal, Vardhan said it was unfortunate that a political slant was being given to a move made to “correct a wrong”. “The Central Vigilance Commission opposed Chaturvedi’s designation as CVO in 2012 and 2013. Disregarding CVC’s directives was part of a design of the previous government to weaken the institution. I have only tried to restore the CVC’s image,” Vardhan said.

Chaturvedi has sought a CBI probe into his removal saying he is being harassed for exposing graft in AIIMS. He got a Central deputation to AIIMS as Deputy Secretary in June 2012 after PMO’s intervention on his representations alleging harassment by Haryana, his cadre state, where he had exposed scams in the forest sector. He was later given additional charge as CVO AIIMS by the then Institute Director, who didn’t consult the CVC. Government sources say the then Director of AIIMS ignored Ministry’s orders to assign the CVO’s post to a Ministry’s joint secretary.

To date, the CVC has not approved Chaturvedi’s appointment as CVO terming it against rules. It has sought from Health Ministry a panel of officers for selection as the CVO.

The CVC Vigilance Manual (accessed by The Tribune), which explains the procedures for CVO appointments, states, “CVOs of all departments are appointed in consultation with the CVC. Irrespective of whether the CVO’s post is in an autonomous organisation… full time or part time.... such organisations would forward through their ministries a panel of names of three officers of sufficiently higher level ...for CVC’s consideration.”

Government’s contention in Chaturvedi’s case is the panel was never sent for the CVC’s consideration despite former MoS PMO V Narayanasamy admitting in a written reply to a Parliament question in March, 2013 that CVO appointments must happen with CVC’s consultation.

In May 2013, BJP MP JP Nadda wrote to the DoPT objecting to Chaturvedi’s continuation as AIIMS CVO. In response to Nadda’s letter, Joint Secretary-CVO Health Ministry Vishwas Mehta wrote a note terming Chaturvedi an exemplary officer and saying that he should be allowed to discharge his duties without interruption. The Tribune has learnt that the Health Ministry is scrutinising the note for “serious flaws and attempts to gloss over appointment procedures”.