[Assam] From ToI/ Corruption

[Chan Mahanta]

>The Indian government has promised to take "exemplary" action 
>against those found guilty, it added.


**** That is reassuring!

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  NEW DELHI: World Bank has discovered serious cases of fraud and 
corruption in the five health sector projects dealing with 
eradication of tuberculosis and malaria and HIV/AIDS control schemes.

The probe into the five health projects has revealed unacceptable 
indicators of fraud and corruption, World Bank President Robert B 
Zoellick said in the statement.

These projects include USD 114 million Malaria Control Project, USD 
82.1 million Orissa Health Systems Development Project, USD 54 
million Food and Drug Capacity Building Project, USD 193.7 million 
Second National HIV/AIDS Control Project USD and 124.8 million 
Tuberculosis Control Project, it added.

The Indian government has promised to take "exemplary" action against 
those found guilty, it added.

The cases of frauds and corruption were discovered during the 
Detailed Implementation Review (DIR), which was launched by the bank 
in 2006, with support from Indian government.

The five projects were implemented between 1997 and 2003 with 
assistance from the Bank and other donors. Four of these projects 
have already been completed, while the fifth USD 54-million Food and 
Drug Capacity Building Project is ongoing, but the funds have not 
been disbursed for it yet.

This project will now be reviewed to incorporate the findings of the 
DIR, the World Bank statement said.

In an investigation in 2005, the World Bank had found cases of 
corruption in Reproductive and Child Health project, prompting the 
multi-lateral agency to withhold aid for the project for sometime. 
Subsequent to the probe, two pharma companies were also debarred by 
the Bank.

The current DIR was prompted by that investigation, the World Bank said.