Jaipur: The two-member probe committee, appointed by the cooperatives department, found procedural lapses in the procurement of medicines in Hanumangarh. However, no financial irregularities were found in the procurement of medicines by the district cooperative.
Registrar, cooperatives, Muktanand Agrawal had constituted a two-member committee to investigate the alleged irregularities amounting to Rs 7.36 crore in purchase of medicines and issuing non-availability certificates (NACs) to the pensioners by Hanumangarh cooperative consumer wholesale store limited.
Following the probe, the stock of medicines was found to be less than the normal (there was a shortage of stock) in some shops. There was an overall shortage of stock by around Rs 8.5 lakh (in 10 shops). Also, instead of signing individual agreements/contracts with each supplier of medicines (or making separate files for each agreement), the store signed a single agreement with all the suppliers collectively (as a group or as a whole).
Additional registrar (senior scale) Vidyadhar Godara and assistant registrar Shirish B Chande were appointed as members of the probe committee. While they have submitted their report, the Registrar will take a decision on action to be taken against the cooperative store.
“The district collector had earlier investigated the matter. Based on that, we looked into all the facts and details. We found procedural lapses in the procurement of medicines, but there were no financial irregularities or misappropriation of funds. The bills, which were produced by the store, were passed by the treasury after scrutiny,” said Godara, one of the probe members.
“Among the procedural lapses included – first, instead of maintaining a purchase register for the procurement of medicines, the purchases were recorded in the general register; second, in some shops, there were shortages in the stock of medicines. In one shop, the shortage of stock was found to be amounting to Rs 6.60 lakh and in another shop the stock was less than normal by Rs 1.59 lakh,” he added.
Registrar, cooperatives, Muktanand Agrawal had constituted a two-member committee to investigate the alleged irregularities amounting to Rs 7.36 crore in purchase of medicines and issuing non-availability certificates (NACs) to the pensioners by Hanumangarh cooperative consumer wholesale store limited.
Following the probe, the stock of medicines was found to be less than the normal (there was a shortage of stock) in some shops. There was an overall shortage of stock by around Rs 8.5 lakh (in 10 shops). Also, instead of signing individual agreements/contracts with each supplier of medicines (or making separate files for each agreement), the store signed a single agreement with all the suppliers collectively (as a group or as a whole).
Additional registrar (senior scale) Vidyadhar Godara and assistant registrar Shirish B Chande were appointed as members of the probe committee. While they have submitted their report, the Registrar will take a decision on action to be taken against the cooperative store.
“The district collector had earlier investigated the matter. Based on that, we looked into all the facts and details. We found procedural lapses in the procurement of medicines, but there were no financial irregularities or misappropriation of funds. The bills, which were produced by the store, were passed by the treasury after scrutiny,” said Godara, one of the probe members.
“Among the procedural lapses included – first, instead of maintaining a purchase register for the procurement of medicines, the purchases were recorded in the general register; second, in some shops, there were shortages in the stock of medicines. In one shop, the shortage of stock was found to be amounting to Rs 6.60 lakh and in another shop the stock was less than normal by Rs 1.59 lakh,” he added.
