Hepatitis Prevention and Control Programme: CMIT 'detects' corruption of around Rs 200 million

Sindh's CMIT has recommended stern action against Dr Abdul Majid Chhuto, ex-head Chief Minister's multi-billion rupees Hepatitis Prevention and Control Programme (HPCP) following the detection of alleged around Rs 200 million corruption in disbursement of funds, Business Recorder learnt.
This kind of recommendation was mentioned in an inquiry report finalised by Chief Minister's Inspection Team a few days back, the inquiry officer has handed over the report to the Chairman CMIT for further process. Reliable Sources told Business Recorder that CMIT has initiated this inquiry on the directives of Chief Minister Syed Qaim Ali Shah.
Chairman Abdus Subhan Memon has assigned this inquiry to one of CMIT's member. The CMIT member has conducted inquiry and examined every side of the matter of corruption in HPCP. And he is said to have proved that Dr Abdul Majid Chhuto former head of HPCP is involved in corruption of around Rs 200 million, sources said.
Dr Chhuto, who was removed from this post by the Chief Minister Syed Qaim Ali Shah, has allegedly embezzled government money in various heads including vehicle purchasing and repair, he passed fake bills of millions of rupees deliberately and minted money, sources said while quoting the inquiry report.
"The Multi-billion HPCP was initiated under the directives of Chief Minister Qaim Ali Shah in January 2009, and had been extended for another three years to achieve the goal of Hepatitis Free Sindh. Now, the government is thinking to extend it till 2015". The HPCP has a budget of around Rs 5 billion and it was initiated on basis of surveys conducted by Pakistan Medical and Research Council (PMRC) that indicated blood borne Hepatitis B and C on the rise in Sindh. But, unfortunately this mega program failed due to corruption and the team failed "to make Sindh free from all types of Hepatitis disease", sources in Health department said.
According to sources of CMIT, the report has recommended the chief Minister Sindh to take stern action against Dr Abdul Majid Chhuto, ex head HPCP following the detection of around Rs 200 million corruption in the disbursement of funds. After the removal of Dr Chhuto, Chief Minister Syed Qaim Ali Shah had posted Dr Zulifqar Siyal as head of HPCP. Later, Dr Chhuto fixed a high level "parchi" and got the same lucrative post back but he could not sustain it and has been removed again. Currently, Dr Ayaz Memon is working as head of this multi-billion HPC program, sources concluded.