LUCKNOW: After a woman from Agra district was discovered to have “delivered 25 times and undergone sterilisation five times between 2021 and 2023” during a recent financial audit of the National Health Mission’s (NHM) Janani Suraksha Yojna, a similar scam involving three more women to claim benefits guaranteed under the scheme has come to the fore. Of the three women claimants, who belong to two different villages of Fatehabad in Agra district, one is 55 years old and had undergone sterilization 22 years ago.Three persons have been arrested in connection with the fraudulent transactions so far. The alleged scam revolves around the National Health Mission’s ‘Janani Suraksha Yojana’ and ‘Mahila Sterilisation Incentive Scheme’. These schemes usually offer financial aid to women — Rs 1,400 for rural delivery, Rs 1,000 for urban delivery and Rs 2,000 for a sterilisation procedure.The financial audit records of the health department reflected that Sunita and Machhla Devi of Nagla Kadam village under Fatehabad had delivered 18 times while undergoing sterilization procedure thrice during 2021-2022 and 2022-2023. Similarly, Rajkumari of Rasoolpur village was shown delivering 17 times and getting sterilized thrice.Consequently, Sunita and Machhla Devi received Rs 31,000 each and Rajkumari got Rs 29,800 in their bank accounts as government dole.After the stark reality of the swindling of funds in the name of Janani Suraksha Yojna came to light, a team entrusted with carrying out an internal inquiry into the irregularities visited the villages only to find that Sunita of Nagla Kadam is 55 and married for 36 years. She has two sons and a daughter, all married. Sunita’s youngest son is 22. Likewise, Machhla Devi of the same village is also married for 22 years. She has three sons and a daughter. Machhla Devi had undergone sterilization around 15 years ago.However, Rajkumari of Rasoolpur village feigned ignorance about the records showing 17 deliveries and three sterilization procedures mentioned in her name.As per the superintendent of Fatehabad Community Health Centre (CHC) Dr Pramod Kushwaha, an investigation of the records is on. He said the beneficiaries were also grilled in connection with the money they received. He said that all the three beneficiaries, who received the doles on the basis of implausible figures, put the blame on a man named Ashok of Nagla Kadam village for getting their bank accounts opened. Ashok is believed to run a ‘Sahaiyata Samooh’ (self help group) of women.Ashok is accused of drawing benefits of the NHM scheme by getting the accounts of women of the self-help group opened, receiving the monetary benefits of the scheme in those accounts and withdrawing the money himself. Sometimes, he used to share a paltry sum of Rs 300-400 with the women so that they did not question him.
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