Debabrata Saikia urges Upa Lokayukta to order probe

STAFF REPORTER

GUWAHATI: Leader of the Opposition in the Assam Legislative Assembly Debabrata Saikia has written a letter to Upa Lokayukta, Assam Justice Chittaranjan Sharma, urging him to initiate an investigation regarding the allegations that have surfaced regarding irregularities and preferential treatment given to certain suppliers in procurement of various health equipments pertaining to COVID-19 including Personal Protection Equipment (PPE) kits, by the Health & Family Welfare department of Assam.

In his letter, Saikia stated that Abhijit Sarma and Dhrubajyti Talukdar, president and general secretary respectively of Assam Public Works (APW), recently wrote to the Chief Minister and stated inter alia that a group of businessmen were colluding with senior officials of the Health & Family Welfare department, Assam to monopolize supply of various items.

Saikia pointed out that the complainants have alleged that this "cartel" is using the crisis created by the COVID-19 pandemic to mint money via irregular means.

"They have made specific reference to contracts for supply of PPE kits and triple-layered N-95 masks worth around Rs 71crore, details of which have not been posted online on the department's website or the Government of Assam's e-tendering portal in violation of CVC and GFR guidelines," Saikia asserted.

Further the leader said that the APW members have also alleged irregularities in the tender for supply of sodium hydrochloride solution and malathion.

"Sarma and Talukdar have also expressed doubt about the utilization of an amount of Rs 630 crore which has been given so far by the Central Government as COVID related aid to the Government of Assam," he added.

Saikia informed Justice Sharma that a similar complaint was made to the Chief Minister by an RTI activist named Adish, who provided documentary evidence about how the Health & Family Welfare department of Assam had procured overpriced COVID-19 testing kits under the National Health Mission (NHM). Adish has pointed out that the NHM had paid Rs 1,145 per kit whereas the same supplier had provided kits to the Government of Uttar Pradesh at the rate of Rs 490 per kit, i.e. a difference of Rs. 655 per unit, he said.

"These are extremely serious allegations and deserve to be probed, especially because the issue involves reported profiteering at a time of general human misery. As such, I request you to take cognizance of the matter and institute an investigation to ascertain the veracity of these charges," Saikia underlined.

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