Pune Municipal Corporation Health Department Under Investigation: Assistant Health Officer Signs Bills Meant for Health Director

Pune, 13th July 2024: Concerns continue to arise within the administration of the Pune Municipal Corporation (PMC) Health Department. An investigation has been initiated after it was revealed that the Assistant Health Officer has been signing bills instead of the Health Officer. As a result, the Acting Health Officer, who assumed temporary charge just a month and a half ago, has recalled 85 files from the Accounts and Finance Department to sign them during her tenure.

It was discovered that since last year, bills in the PMC Health Department were being signed by the Assistant Health Officer rather than the Health Officer. Previously, all three Health Officers were in government service, and any bill exceeding Rs 3 Lakhs requires the Health Officer’s signature. Despite this, bills signed by the Assistant Health Officer were approved by the Accounts and Finance Department. These bills include purchases of medicines and medical equipment and payments to urban poor and private hospitals under contributory schemes.

Following complaints, Additional Commissioner Prithviraj B.P. ordered an inquiry into the matter. Additionally, the Health Officer’s signature has been mandated on each bill. In response, Acting Health Officer Dr. Kalpana Baliwant recalled 85 files signed by the Assistant Health Officer during her tenure from the Accounts and Finance Department. These bills were promptly signed by Dr. Baliwant and returned to the Accounts and Finance Department, sparking significant discussion within PMC circles about the large-scale file transfer.

Dr. Kalpana Baliwant, Acting Health Officer, PMC, stated, “According to the order of the Additional Commissioner, the files from my tenure have been recalled from the Accounts and Finance Department for the Health Officer’s signature. They are being reviewed, signed, and sent back to the Accounts Department.”

Ulka Kalaskar, Chief Accounts and Finance Officer, Pune Municipal Corporation, added, “It is mandatory for the Head of the Department to sign the bills. Manual bills from the Health Department are signed by the Health Chief. However, it is true that they are not signed on the bills coming from the SAP system. As per the Health Officer’s request, 85 bill files have been sent back to her. These bills have not yet been paid to the concerned parties.”