The district administration Rayagada had planned to procure two vehicles ( Bolero) for the health dept in the district to serve as MHUs for the naxal affected areas such as Chandrapur and Kashipur, where private vehicles are almost impossible to get. The district administration, in accordance with the guidelines of Planning Commission Govt of India, which clearly permits procurement of MHUs, included the project of procuring two vehicles for the reasons mentioned above. However the state govt, after careful consideration instructed the district administration to not to procure vehicles under IAP and to get the same under NRHM and accordingly the procurement of vehicles was scrapped and no vehicle was procured.
However one fine day, a letter from Planning & Coordination dept was received by the district administration, which asked for an explanation for the objection raised by audit against 'irregular' purchase of vehicles under Integrated Action Plan. The district adminstration immediately clarified that no purchase was made and the hence there is no question of any irregular purchase and most importantly no question of replying to the objection, which was obviously made without verifying the facts.
The comedy apart, the fact that the district administartion could not procure and hence could not provide vehicular support to the health dept teams in the naxal affected areas, which also happen to be the highly diarrhea prone areas, has put the district administration in a very difficult position as its is falling short of people's aspiration. As of now there is no provision for procurement of vehicles under NRHM, which allows only hiring of vehicles. Since there is absolutely no possibility of get vehicles to hire in these areas, the district administration's effort at providing quality health services to the people in the interior part of the district have been effectively made to fail. The district administration has written to the health dept regarding the same and it seem it will have to wait till something fruitful happens in this direction.
