Lucknow: Uttar Pradesh Family Welfare Minister Babu Singh Khushwaha and Health Minister Anant Kumar Mishra on Thursday resigned from the Cabinet, owning moral responsibility for the irregularities detected in their departments after murder of a CMO of the state.
"Taking moral responsibility for the irregularities in their respective departments both the ministers have willingly send their resignations to Chief Minister Mayawati, which she has forwarded to Governor B L Joshi," Cabinet Secretary Shashank Shekhar Singh told.
Chief Medical Officer of Family Welfare Dr BP Singh who was shot dead on April 2 near his house during a morning walk.
Cabinet Secretary Singh said that Principal Secretary (family welfare) Pradeep Shukla has also been removed after serious financial irregularities were detected in the department.
"As irregularities originated before the creation of the post of CMO family welfare, CMO Lucknow A K Shukla has also been removed so that the inquiry is not affected," Singh said.
An FIR has been lodged against another clerk of family welfare department Sanjay Anand and he has been suspended and arrested, he said.
"It has been decided that now district CMOs will look after all the work and post of CMO (family welfare) stands abolished," the cabinet secretary said.
He said that a separate post of CMO (family welfare) was created last year to ensure that all welfare schemes were implemented smoothly and properly.
"CMO B P Singh, who was appointed after Vinod Kumar Arya's killing, took stern measures to improve the functioning of the department and ensure that funds were utilised properly," he said.
The cabinet secretary said that according to the facts that emerged during investigation in CMO Singh's murder case, serious financial irregularities were detected in the department, including payment of vehicles and procurement of
medicines.
"It has been revealed that these irregularities were continuing from the last three to four years and documents indicated that payments were made deliberately and in a planned manner," he said.
He said that it was revealed that these irregularities were committed by deputy CMO Yogendra Singh Sachan, district administrative officer C J Yadav and senior clerk P C Verma.
"Following these revelations FIR was lodged against them and the trio was placed under suspension and arrested," Singh said.
He said that as the investigation continued further grave irregularities were also detected in CMO Lucknow's office, who was also looking after NRHM programmes, before it was separated nearly eight months back.
"As of now financial irregularities indicate towards background of Singh's murder," he said.
Singh said that the government has decided to restore the old system and CMOs of the districts would be the nodal officers of all the schemes.
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