Mandleshwar (Madhya Pradesh): During a meeting of Viksit Bharat Sankalp Yatra, sarpanch Sangeeta Kunwar of Jaswadi village near Khandwa broke down in tears as she exposed corruption within the healthcare system. She revealed that the community health officer (CHO) Sushmita Katare and ANM Usha Somvanshi of the village's sub-health centre (SHC) allegedly extorted money from villagers under the guise of distributing Ayushman cards, pocketing Rs 33,000 in total.
In her emotional address, Sangeeta recounted how she faced threats from the nurse, including a chilling warning to implicate her son in a false rape case. She also revealed attempts to tarnish her husband's reputation. She questioned whether serving as a sarpanch and standing against corruption was a crime. The corruption complaint, initially filed on January 23, prompted a swift response from authorities.
An investigative team led by the collector began probing the allegations, taking statements from villagers. Sangeeta highlighted the collaboration between the CHO, ANM, deputy sarpanch Hariom Patel and Asha worker Vaishali Soni in the corrupt practices. The situation escalated when Sangeeta's son was allegedly targeted in a deliberate accident after the corruption allegations surfaced. Despite facing intimidation tactics, she urged villagers to support truth and stand against obstacles to service. The investigation team's recent visit to Jaswadi signifies a step towards addressing the corruption plaguing the village's healthcare system.
