The audit report submitted to the police department on January 28, 2013 by the Indian Audit and Accounts Department observed that medicines worth Rs 95.71 lakh were procured by the police medical officer (PMO) between April 2010 and November 2012 from a few dealers regularly for an amount less than Rs 2 lakh each time to avoid the process of inviting open tenders.
There were 71 different purchases of medicines based only on quotations during the period which is against the codal provision of General Financial Rules (GFR) of the Finance Ministry, the report said. The stock and issue register of medicines procured were not maintained properly and verification of the same was also not carried out by any responsible officials.
According to the police department it is solely the PMO who deals with procurement of medicines for the clinic in the police head quarters, Panjim.
The report stated, “The entire procurement of medicines was not backed by codal provision and thus irregular.”
In its reply the department accepted the lapse and stated that the procedure was followed without any objection from any authority and it was agreed to maintain the registers properly. According to sources at the clinic the irregularities still continue and particular companies are favoured while purchasing the medicines.
Rule 37 of the GFR says, “An officer shall be held personally responsible for any loss sustained by the government through fraud or negligence on his part. He will also be held personally responsible for any loss arising from fraud or negligence of any other officer to the extent to which it may be shown that he contributed to the loss by his own action or negligence.”
