Saturday 23 November 2013

Vigilance unearth health fraud in corporate hospitals in Hyderabad

U Sudhakar Reddy/Hyderabad

Vigilance and Enforcement has unearthed health
fraud by private referral hospitals across the State where the
hospitals are charging excess than the CGHS rates for government
employees, pensioners, MLAs and ex-MLAs causing huge loss to the
exchequer which would run into crores of rupees.
In the investigation done by Vigilance department it was also found
that most of the hospitals are avoiding free treatment to BPL families
of 5 per cent of total inpatients and 10 per cent of outpatients and
not giving free health care to the students of social welfare hostels.
In a major irregularity and manipulation some of the hospitals have
created records to show that they provided free treatment to white
card holders. However they have claimed the same bills under
Aarogyasree scheme and other insurance.
Out of 827 hospitals in the State, 69 were checked at random, and all
of them were found to be erring. In Hyderabad, all top hospitals are
under violators list and Vigilance department has asked State Medical
and Family Welfare department to recover excess charges and levy
penalty.
When contacted Vigilance and Enforcement Director Mr. RP Thakur
confirmed the report on irregularities by the private referral
hospitals and said it has been submitted to the State government.
Checks were conducted in Hyderabad, Vishakapatnam, Vijayawada and all
other cities and towns of the State.
Out of 39 patients checked as random sampling in all city hospitals
loss suffered by the government is Rs 81.53 lakh. The report said
“..very drastic and adverse excess bill amounts have been charged by
the referral hospital as against the package rate or CGHS rate….The
very purpose of MOU entered between government and hospital to
streamline the performance of referral hospitals has failed..Spirit of
government to extend welfare measures to BPL families and students
failed,”
Vigilance asked health department to warn the hospital for no
compliance. Several hospitals are not even maintaining the date.
ASHA(AP Super specialty Hospitals Association)  president Dr B Bhaskar
Rao said ,”there are discrepancies as pointed by the Vigilance.
Government need to relook into this to save the health industry.
Government has been putting all kind of taxes including luxury tax,
service tax, power charges under commercial category branding
hospitals as commercial establishments. There are no incentives like
land or power given to hospitals. Health sector in the State has
created thousands of jobs. We have taken huge bank loans and to
sustain we need to run the hospitals very carefully. All the white
card holders in the State are covered under Aarogyasree scheme so
there are no patients left over to cover them under this 162 GO.
Ironically star hotels are no providing free rooms to BPL families we
the health sector is facing all these issues. Government should
rethink and come out with clarity including on packages,”
Vigilance also observed that the hospitals are not conducting free
health camps in the villages adopted by them. The enquiry report also
rapped Director of Medical Education for not conducting audits and
checks at the hospitals and for non implementation of GO 162 issues in
2005 which makes free treatment up to certain per cent of patients is
mandatory. Though the rules permit DME to hire a chartered accountant
to conduct audit he failed to do so.
DME Dr G Santa Rao said ,”After I took over four months ago I started
activating the system and served notices to several hospitals asking
them to submit information on free treatment and free cams conducted
by them. The core issue is whether they are complying with Memorandum
of Understanding. If they are not complying their recognition can be
withdrawn. We are also conducting surprise checks,”
The vigilance report also blamed the principal and wardens of SC ST BC
social welfare hostels for failing to refer the sick students to the
private referral hospitals. Interestingly the superintendents of
government hospitals are not aware of the GO regarding free treatment
to 5 per cent of BPL families.

Andhra Anti Corruption Bureau record harvest of corrupt babus

Udumula Sudhakar Reddy
In a record level harvest Anti Corruption Bureau has trapped more 
than 297 corrupt babus in the state while they were accepting bribe till date this year. 
ACB has broken the previous record of 264 officials caught red handed and arrested in 
graft cases in 2002. The spy camera and audio recordings by ACB sleuths revealed 
interesting conversation between the bribe giver and corrupt officials. ACB has seized 
around Rs 63 lakh cash in trap cases and Rs 31 crore of disproportionate assets of state 
government officials so far this year.
ACB director Mr. Kumar Viswajeet said,”due to stepped up pressure by the agency the 
corrupt babus were caught on record asking the complainant "did you inform ACB". Due to 
fear of being trapped they were trying to confirm before accepting the graft,” ACB 
records the conversations between the complainant and corrupt official secretly to create 
evidence against the accused.
Despite two months lull due to United Andhra agitation in Seemandhra region and at 
secretariat government office didn’t function and there were no traps for ACB. However 
ACB broke the record of 2002 and trapped several officials mostly of Revenue and 
Transport department.
ACB director Kumar Viswajeet says increased efforts to nab the corrupt officials by ACB 
and as well as taking up cases of smaller amounts too in order to curb grassroots level 
corruption have resulted in increased traps.
“We are taking up the cases of all those who are genuine complainants even the graft 
amount is small. It is not the question of small fish but the issue of corruption in 
rural areas. In villages revenue officials including VROs were found demanding money from 
farmers for issuing pattadar pass books. They amounts may be Rs 500 or Rs 1000 but it is 
big for those in villages,” said Viswajeet. ACB registered 19 cases of disproportionate 
assets when compared six DA cases previous year. ACB was focusing more on liquor scam 
investigation during 2012 and booked only 94 cases of corrupt officials.
However the conviction rate has come down this year. The per centage conviction has come 
down from 45 per cent in 2012 to 42 per cent in 2013 till November 13. Dismissal from 
service and punishment by disciplinary authorities have also come down. ACB officials 
hope that by the end of the year they will also catch up. ACB has conducted around 30 
regular enquiries and 37 discreet enquires and surprise checks.

Trap cases                          182           94             292
Assets cases                       54               6           19
Trap amount seized           27.89         13.6          63.26
% conviction                 48.94            45.08         42.04

Mafia don Abu Salem convicted by Hyderabad CBI Court

U Sudhakar Reddy
Central Bureau of Investigation court at Gaganvihar on Monday 
convicted mafia don Abu Salem alias Abu Salem Abdul Qayoom Ansari in fake passport case. 
The third Additional Special Judge Mr. M V Ramana Naidu has posted the case to November 
28 for confirmation of quantum of sentence for the accused Abu Salem.Abu Salem who is currently lodged in Taloja Central Prison in Navi Mumbai is likely to be produced in the city court on 28th. Due to security reasons he was not produced on Monday. For the past six years he was in the jail with regarding to the fake passport case of city.

The prosecution has sought the maximum of seven year imprisonment. Salem’s  ex girl friend and film actor Ms Monica Bedi who already convicted undergone sentence was released.   Apart from 1993 Bombay Blasts Case Abu Salem is an accused in several other heinous offences across the country which are under various stages of trial. His wife Sameera Jumani how is wanted in CBI Hyderabad case is still absconding.CBI’s senior public prosecutor Mr. T Venkata Ramana said ,”He was convicted under five charges 120B(criminal conspiracy) 120 B with 420 (cheating), 419(punishment for cheating by impersonation), 468 (forgery for the purpose of cheating) and 471 IPC (using forged documents as genuine),”He added ,”Abu Salem has impersonated as Ramil Kamil Malik and obtained bogus passport for him and his wife and ex girl friend Monica Bedi. He used falsified information and documents of proof like false Date of Birth certificate and resident proof and gave fake declaration. The prosecution has examined 39 witnesses and marked 60 documents in the case to prove the five charges,”The offence took place in Kurnool in 2001 and passports were issued by Secunderabad regional passport office and the case was registered in 2006 and trial begun in 2008.“Out of total 10 accused the case split. Initially Monica Bedi and five other accused were tried. Monica was convicted. Three more accused including Abu Salem’s wife Sameera and passport agent Hameed A6 and Faizan Ahmed A 10 are still absconding.The bank clerk in Kurnool Superintendent of Police Mr Srinivas (A4), Sattar head constable (A5),  Revenue Inspector Mohammed Younus A7, postman Gokhari Shaheb A 8 are the other accused.The allegation against Abu Salem is that he obtained a fake passport in the assumed name of Ramil Malik Kamal from the Regional Passport Office, Secunderabad by submitting false documents like residence certificate, educational certificate with the help of Srinivas, Sattar, Younus, Gokhari, Hameed and Faizan. With the fake passport he travelled to Lisbon, Portugal. The owner of Faizan Enterprises, Mumbai Faizan Ahmed is involved in the business of recruiting people for jobs in foreign countries. He gave 10 passport size photographs of Abu Salem, Monica and Sameera and fake names and documents to the other accused to secure passports falsely showing them as residents of Kurnool in the State.  At the instance of A-6 Hameed, A-7 Mohammed Yunis, Mandal Revenue Inspector of Mandal Revenue Office, Kurnool issued a false residential certificates in the assumed names intended for the benefit of  the top three accused procured fake transfer certificates purported to have been issued by the Headmaster, Zila Parishad High Court, Peddapadu, Kurnool District in the name of Ramil Kamil Malik and two fake memorandum of marks sheets in the names of Neha Asif Jafari and Sana Malik, purported to have been issued by the Headmaster, Higher Elementary School, Kurnool, as a proof in support of date of birth. Abu Salem was a prime conspirator of the blasts, which killed 250 innocent persons, and was also involved in possession, transportation and distribution of arms and explosives, illegally smuggled into the country. On CBI’s request an Red Corner Notice was issued by Interpol against Salem in 1997.  An attempt to extradite Salem from UAE did not succeed, but CBI continued to pursue him. Salem was finally arrested in September 2002 in Lisbon, and was extradited to India in 2005. Abu Salem was a close associate of Dawood Ibrahim Kaskar, Tiger Memon and others. Salem tried to fight over his extradition but failed. In August 2013 Salem lost the case in Supreme Court regarding quashing of all proceedings against him. The Supreme Court held that the verdict of Portugal court is "not binding" on courts here and Salem's extradition to India is still "valid in the eyes of law".


Hyderabad resident dies in Hooks Airport crash in Houston


A city resident died a plane crash in Hooks airport in Houston in
Texas in United States. The victim identified as Chamakura Karthik was a pilot student
and a native of Poola Bazar in Kurnool.
He was killed along with instructor of Cessna aircraft 152 as it burst into flames
crashing into a hangar during a landing attempt at Hooks Airport .
Chamakaura Karthik’s father  B Ch Nagaraju works as General Manager in BSNL in Shillong
in Nagaland and her mother Malleswari is a homemaker. Karthik did his studies in
Chaitanya College in the city and later Rajiv Gandhi Aviation Academy in Hyderabad and
moved Texas for flight studies.
The mishap occurred when the pilot was on touch and go maneuvers as part of training on
November 18 in US. The flight belongs to United Flight Systems in New Castle of Delaware.
The last conversations from the trainee pilot and instructor revealed Karthik asking the
airport tower ‘We have some problems…”. A "heavy amount of fuel and fire" blocked
firefighters from rescuing two people trapped inside the plane.
The family lives in Residency Apartment in Ashoknagar and on after knowing about the
incident they moved to Kurnool.
Karthik’s uncle Mr Ch Shiva Kumar a contractor says ,”Karthik had completed 40 hours of
flying with Rajiv Gandhi Aviation Academy and he went to US one half month ago in
September  28 for further flying training. He said would come back by February and attend
his brother Rahul’s marriage in May. Rahul did his MSC and returned from US recently and
Karthik attended Rahul’s engagement.
“Two years ago when there was a crash at Begumpet he was not there as he came to Kurnool
on passport work,”
“We received information from another AP student Dinesh who called up us and informed
about the crash. Initially they told us that he was injured seriously but late confirmed
he died on the spot. One of our relatives Revanth who works in Texas is at hospital and
post mortem is yet to be done. Indian embassy has to interfere to get the body,” said
Karthik’s uncle Shiva.
Karthik’s father Nagaraju was transferred to Nagaland an year ago. He earlier worked in
Karimnagar. “As his father moves regularly on job the family was stay put at Hyderabad
for the studies of children. Karthik made a point I was present in the airport in
September. It’s a great loss to the family,”

Andhra Pradesh seeks ED probe into Red Sanders smuggling involving Chinese nationals

Udumula Sudhakar Reddy
State government has sought Enforcement Directorate probe into Red
sanders smuggling by Chinese nationals after the preliminary investigations found not
only the involvement of foreign nationals but also of international freight agencies and
a chain of middleman as well money transactions among international smugglers.
Hyderabad Divisional Forest Officer Mr. D Nagabhushanam has sent request to joint
director of Directorate of Enforcement in the city to take up further investigation in
the case.
So far nine persons including 5 Chinese were arrested in the smuggling of both Red
Sanders and Sandalwood. The accused were sent to Cherlapally jail in August 2013 after
court remanded them to judicial custody.
Forest department said that the priced wood consignments are routed to China via Kong.
Forest department says there is violation of convention of international trade in
endangers species. And Information was sent to Ministry of External affairs. It is
believed that the laptop and computer devices seized from the accused Chinese contained
vital information regarding the international racket.

It all started when Nacharam police arrested smugglers by intercepting a TNT courier
vehicle and arrested three Chinese nationals. One of the accused TNT delivery boy M
Santosh Kumar revealed to police that the material is to be delivered to Hong Kong and
was rejected by airport authorities and the same was brought to Nacharam to handover to
persons who booked it. Six carton boxes of Red sanders and sandal wood were found. On
further investigation police seized seven carton boxes of Red sanders in Tarnaka. Huge
amounts of American, Myanmar, Bhutan, Malaysian, Korean and Chinese and Indian currency
was seized from the accused.
Forest officials who took over the case also arrested G Dayakar Executive of Operations
and R Satish Kumar Area Manager into custody for booking aero bills through TNT at
Patigadda in the city to Hongkong. The accused Chinese nationals are from Fujian of
Bangton in China.
The cases were booked under illegal transportation of sandalwood and red sanders under
section 32 of AP Forest Act and AP Sandalwood and Red sanders possession rule, Biological
diversity act and under theft section of IPC and violation of CITES(convention on
international trade in endangered species).