New Delhi: The Ministry of Health and Family Welfare (MoHFW) on Monday launched a CBI inquiry against field branches of Indian Red Cross Society in 5 States/UTs over allegations of corruption and financial irregularities.
The Indian Red Cross Society (IRCS) – a voluntary humanitarian organization – was Established Incorporated under the Indian Red Cross Societies Act and under Parliament Act XV of 1920. The President of India is the President and the Union Health Minister is the President of the society.
The states and union territories where action has been taken against regional IRCS units are Tamil Nadu, Assam, Kerala, Karnataka and the Andaman and Nicobar Islands.
A senior ministry official said: “Serious allegations were found in the functioning of the state branch requested the Governor of Tamil Nadu and the National Headquarters (NHQ) in July 2020 for clearance under the Prevention of Corruption Act to enable the CBI to investigate.
The official said that “the accused president and other office-bearers of the Tamil Nadu state branch obtained a stay from the Hon’ble High Court at Chennai against the investigation by the CBI”.
“The moratorium has been lifted in June 2022. Presently, the Speaker has resigned and the case is with the CBI. The governor has also disbanded the state management committee and replaced it with an ad-hoc committee,” the official said.
In Kerala, in 2019, NHQ recommended disbandment of the state managing committee in connection with alleged misappropriation of funds by the chairman and vice-chairman, according to the official, Now a new management committee has been formed.
In the Andaman and Nicobar Islands, the Secretary-General was removed on the basis of a complaint by the LG, which stated that elections to the post had not been held for a long time. Meanwhile, the delay in the State Management Committee elections in Assam led to the matter being taken to the Governor and later to the High Court, following which a new committee has now been constituted, according to the official.
In Karnataka, a trust was illegally registered in the name of IRCS allegedly by the former president. The trust was dissolved following an FIR.
(Editing by Anumeha Saxena)