MPHW recruitment ‘scam’ at Cuttack CDMO office!

An alleged recruitment scam surfaced at the office of the Chief District Medical Officer (CDMO) in Cuttack City, on Monday.

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Allegations have arisen regarding irregularities in the recruitment process for the Multi-purpose Health Workers (MPHW), with evidence emerging of individuals being improperly included on promotion lists without having received appointment letters.

35 names were later illegally added!

Initial appointments for 23 MPHW positions in 2005 are reported to have increased to a suspicious 58 names on the current gradation list. Official documentation indicated that recruitment was for 24 staff members under recruitment notice dated August 5, 2005, with 23 appointments executed on May 4, 2006, under the letter number 4609; however, only 20 individuals commenced duty.

Further appointments were actioned under a subsequent letter number 5849 on May 30, 2006. Surprisingly,the  current gradation list inexplicably reflects an additional 35 employees, prompting questions about their inclusion.

The discrepancies came to light following a promotion list request sent by the CDMO office to the Health Department. Notably, records of these additional appointments appear to be absent, leading the Cuttack CDMO office to issue a notice calling for grievances from 35 staff members on the inflated list.

The incumbent CDMO has distanced himself from any involvement, citing that the list was compiled by the Director of Public Health, and asserting no knowledge of any fraudulent conduct. A probe is underway to ascertain the integrity of the appointment process and potential legal actions will follow based on findings.

“Citing the disappearance of recruitment-related records, a notice has been issued by the present CDMO to 35 employees regarding their gradation. It has been stated that if anyone has any objections, they should come forward and duly inform the office concerned,” a complainant Jagannath Mohanty stated.

“The Cuttack CDMO has distanced himself from the issue, stating that the gradation list was prepared by the Director of Public Health and that he is unaware of the matter. He added that some irregularities might have occurred during the tenure of the then-CDMO, and for that, an investigation is underway. If any malpractice is found in the recruitment process, action will be taken as per the law. Gradation will be done after the investigation is complete,” the complainant expressed.

Notably, this situation reflects a recurring issue within the Cuttack CDMO office, where previous instances have witnessed the misuse of fake certificates by candidates to secure MPHW positions, including the inappropriate use of scheduled caste (SC) and scheduled tribe (ST) certifications.

“Some people were initially appointed sans any valid official order by taking the plea of a previous order. Subsequently, attempts were made to regularise the things,” Rogi Adhikar Manch (a patients’ rights outfit) president, Amiya Biswal stated.

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When contacted, Cuttack CDMO Dr. Pradeep Rath said, “The matter is highly condemnable and should not have occurred. A proper inquiry into the allegations must be done.”