inquiry into mismanagment of COVID Fund by Director, RMRC demanded

Fund Received,  its
source   and spent for COVID management
by RMRC, Bhubaneswar  is still denied
under RTI Act

Allegation of  huge 
Irregularities and mismanagement  of
  COVID 
Fund  by Dr. Sanghamitra Pati ,
Director  is  substantiated 
due  to  non-supply 
of the  information.

Utilization of Rs.
80  lakhs 
of OMC fund  for COVID must  be  put  in public 
domain

We are  still hopeful 
that  RMRC  will 
suo moto  upload  all 
information about  details of  expenditure 
made , fund  received, its  source 
and  details of  money 
received  by the  people engaged  in COVID work 
and supply  the same  under RTI Act 
for  greater  transparency 
in the  functioning  of RMRC 
and  COVID management. .

Though  five months 
passed,  neither  PIO 
supplied  the  information 
nor  FAA-cum-Director  issued 
any direction  to the PIO  for 
supply  of the  information under RTI Act,  rather 
conspired  to keep information
secret.

Dear  friends

Having  heard 
about  huge  fund  received  from  various
sources  and  mismanagement 
of COVID  fund  by Dr. Sanghamitra Pati, Director, Regional
Medical  Resource  Centre, Bhubaneswar , RTI  Application dt. 5.8.20  was  submitted  to the 
CPIO of  RMRC, Bhubaneswar  seeking 
the  following  information

1.      Date  from which 
RMRC started  conducting
testing  of  samples 
for COVID 19  and  provide details of  dedicated 
laboratory available in RMRC.

2.      Provide details of type of
various tests   being carried out  at RMRC, Bhubaneswar.

3.      Provide no. of   scientists, doctors, technicians
engaged  for various COVID Tests  in RMRC. 
And provide their names.

4.      Provide details of other   workers, if any engaged by RMRC for COVID
Testing work.

5.      Provide information about details
of procedure/ guidelines followed by RMRC while conducting testing .

6.      Provide  details of funding support  available 
to RMRC  for  COVID 
under various heads ,  the  amount, source  of fund 
with name of agency  (  Month-wise from March to July, 20). 

7.      Provide details of fund obtained
from State Govt. and ICMR ( Month-wise).

8.      Provide details of fund utilized
by RMRC under different heads and 
balance available  ( month-wise).

9.      Provide details of incentives
given  to anybody  for 
COVID work, name and amount paid to each and details of  procedure 
followed  for  fixation of incentives and copy  of decision taken in this regard. .

10.  Provide  total no. samples received, no. of samples
tested  , no. of  samples found to be  positive and negative   by RMRC 
till July ( date-wise)  .

11.  Provide  details of decision taken  to preserve samples  for 
further  research  and 
no. of samples  preserved

12.  Provide  details of 
decision, if any taken by RMRC  to
sponsor project    to carry out  any 
research  for  prevention of COVID 19

In response  to RTI 
Application, the CPIO 
supplied  the  information 
on 3.9.20 which  was found
incomplete. The  CPIO  deliberately 
did not  provide major  information and kept  it in secret. 
These  are  as follows.

2. Having   failed 
to get  the  information, I filed  first 
appeal  dt. 14.9.20  requesting 
First Appellate  Authority-cum-
Director, RMRC  to hear  my case 
and direct  the  CPIO 
to supply  the  information 
free  of cost.

3. On 25.9.20, The  FAA 
wrote  a letter   intimating 
me  about  dt.  8.10.20 
fixed  for  hearing 
of the  appeal  petition. 
As  it  is not 
mandatory  for  appellant 
to attend  the  hearing , I opted  out 
from the  hearing  and waited 
the  order  of the FAA due to COVID  situation.

4. On 6.10.20,  Dr. Sanghamitra Pati, FAA  wrote 
a letter  apprising  me that “ 
the  CPIO  of this 
centre  has been affected  by COVID  19  and
he is  under treatment  and it will take  time for 
recovery . The date for 
appearing  the  hearing 
will be  intimated  shortly 
when  the CPIO  will be available  after 
recovery  from the COVID -19 . In
fact , the  information sought  for 
was  in the  account 
section.  The FAA could  have directed 
the account  section  to supply 
the  information without
waiting  the CPIO..  But 
the FAA did  not  issue 
any  direction.

5.  On 1.12.20, the  Dr. Sanghamitra Pati, Director-cum-FAA   sent 
copy  of her  order 
dt. 20.11.20 .  The  order 
is  very  interesting  and disturbing.  In her 
order  she  mentioned 
that “  the  Appellant  is 
no  more  interested 
as he  is satisfied  with 
the  information  already supplied  to him by the 
CPIO and the  appeal is
disposed  off.”   In fact
,  in my 
appeal  petition I  have 
clearly  mentioned   about 
denial  of information by the CPIO
and  requested  for 
supply  of the  complete 
information.  How she could draw
conclusion that I was satisfied with the 
information. As  Dr.
Sanghamitra  Pati  is involved 
in  taking huge  money  
from COVID  fund, she kept  the 
information secret.  The allegation
of misutilisation of fund got more substantiated.   

6.  To find out how much fund  has been 
given  by OMC, Bhubaneswar,  RTI application dt.   was  submitted  to 
PIO, office  of Odisha Mining  Corporation 
to  supply  details of fund  given to RMRC.  OMC supplied the information that  Rs. 80 lakh 
has been  given to  RMRC . Nobody knows how this  money 
has been spent . RTI  was
filed  to 
understand  the  details of utilization of money . But Dr.
Samnghamitra Pati consciously withheld this 
information apprehending 
that  she would be  exposed.

Story  does not 
end  here.  More information about misutilisation and
misappropriation of fund by RMRC  will
be  exposed  very soon. 
Fight  will  continue 
till  recovery  of money 
illegally  taken  by Dr. sanghamitra  Pati 
and   52  Doctors 
and  60 employees  which 
is not  at  all 
permissible .  Complaint  has been 
filed  to  different 
forum/ authorities seeking   for 
inquiry and audit  of huge  fund    distributed  mindlessly 
in RMRC. The highest recipient of COVID fund   is  Dr.
Sanghamitra Pati.

Pradip
Pradhan

M-9937843482

Date-
16.1.21