Allegations of Irregularities Surface Over PM Jan Aushadhi Kendra Setup at Barpeta Medical College

A Correspondent

BARPETA: The report of significant disorder in the health sector has exposed the lack of cleanliness at Barpeta Medical College and Hospital. There is a serious allegation of administrative irregularities at the Barpeta Medical College and Hospital. There is a controversy over the irregular allocation of tenders by the principal and chief superintendent of the medical college.

The irregularities came to light after a person named Surjit Paul filed a complaint with the Central Public Grievances Redressal and Monitoring System on July 1. The proposal was made to set up a Pradhan Mantri Bharatiya Jan Aushadhi Kendra on the Barpeta Medical College Hospital premises under the scheme of the Government of India, ‘Pradhan Mantri Bharatiya Jana Aushadhi Yojana’ (PMBJP). The Jan Aushadhi Kendra is located in accordance with government directives.

The allocation should have been made through an open tender call through the Government of Assam’s e-tender portal or GEM portal. However, the authorities at the medical college hospital disregarded the rules and conducted the tender process through a pocket tender, which facilitated the establishment of the Prime Minister’s Bharatiya Jan Aushadhi Kendra under a woman’s name. The medical college hospital authorities published an advertisement in an English newspaper on June 5 for the establishment of the Jana Aushadhi Kendra, but the advertisement cleverly sought only applications of interest from pharmaceutical retailers. Notably, the advertisement did not mention any financial tender, licence fee or rent fixing.

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