New Delhi: A team of The Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI), which carried out intensive search of Health Department last week, stumbled upon numerous files dealing with financial misappropriation in the functioning of mohalla clinics during the past two years. 
Alarmed over CBI search and seizures, Health Secretary Madhup Vyas sought to ensure financial prudence by appointing Accounts Controller and senior accounts officers in the Health Department. He sent a missive to Principal Secretary (Finance) seeking immediate posting of senior accounts officer and deputy controller of accounts with the Delhi State Health Mission (DSHM).

The new health secretary’s concern is genuine as the Delhi Government has allocated Rs 100 crore for the mohalla clinics in the current financial year (2017-18). The DSHM is the nodal agency for opening and running the Aam Aadmi Mohalla Clinics and therefore, the expenditure of hundred crore will be at the disposal of DSHM officials. 
The health secretary wants senior accounts officers to filter demand and scrutinise the bills before approving payments. The functioning of DSHM is under the lens of CBI where huge bills were raised for payment of doctors and also under other heads. 
As the new financial year has just started and the expenditures will start soon from this head having hundred crore fund, health secretary is seeking the posting of senior accounts officers as early as possible.
It is pertinent to mention here that the opening of 160 mohalla clinics by March 2017 and expenditures incurred on these are under CBI probe and the Health Department officials are feeling the heat of the ongoing probe. The CBI team spent more than 12 hours at the department where mohalla clinic files were scattered all around. 
All the files were sealed and taken away by the CBI sleuths. Now, the need of the hour is financial accountability and hence the need for an accounts officer at the DSHM has been conveyed to the Finance Department.