10/31/2007

News / MP government's multi-crore scam

Linked from: http://www.timesnow.tv/Newsdtls.aspx?NewsID=3951

In a shocking expose, TIMES NOW has uncovered a multi-crore medical equipment scam in a Government hospital in Madhya Pradesh. The Government has run up expenses of 3 times more than the standard price for surgical equipment and money is coming out of the tax payer's pockets.

Doctors using laparoscopes in an operation theatre in a government hospital in Madhya Pradesh is now at centre of a multi-crore medical equipment scam. Times Now has found that the Madhya Pradesh government has paid almost three times the cost to buy 100 laparoscope sets.

Documents of the State Health Department show they bought this equipment paying Rs 5.72 lakh for each set. But TIMES NOW has found that the supplier, Mumbai based Pregna International was quoting a price of Rs 1.97 lakh for the same laparoscopic equipment.

In short the state government has paid an extra 4 lakh for each set. 100 laparoscopic sets were bought in April and the Health Department wanted to repeat a similar purchase in July but stopped after whispers were heard of a scam.

Every one in Health department right from Health Minister Ajay Vishnoi to Principal Secretary M M Uppadhaya are on back foot over the TIMES NOW exposé.

TIMES NOW took up the issue with the man who runs the state of Madhya Pradesh, Chief Minister Shivraj Singh Chauhan, but to no avail. All the minister had to say was: “Give the document and I’ll look into it. I won’t say anything till I know this case. It's not necessary for me to answer your every question. But I will look into it."

But Times Now also has documents which show that the State Health Department also had the option of buying similar laparoscopes at a much cheaper rate of Rs 1.55 lakh, but from a different manufacturer.

Earlier this month your channel reported a scam from the same Health Department in the purchase of anti TB medicines. The man who was in office when the scam happened is now retired but now along with the Health Minister he coming under the scanner.

It was not a coincidence that laparoscope and medicine purchase racket took place during Mr. Yogiraj Sharma‘s tenure as health director. The Income tax department in a recent raid recovered Rs 1.7 crore in Cash and property worth Rs 76 crore from his premises as well.


1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | 5 | 6 | 7 | 8 | 9 | 10 | 11 | 12 | 13 | 14 | 15 | 16 | 17 | 18 | 19 | 20 | 21 | 22 | 23 | 24 | 25 | 26 | 27 | 28 | 29 | 30 | 31 | 32 | 33 | 34 | 35 | 36 | 37 | 38 | 39 | 40 | 41 | 42 | 43 | 44 | 45 | 46 | 47 | 48 | 49 | 50 | 51 | 52 | 53 | 54 | 55 | 56 | 57 | 58 | 59 | 60 | 61 | 62 | 63 | 64 | 65 | 66 | 67 | 68 | 69 | 70 | 71 | 72 | 73 | 74 | 75 | 76 | 77 | 78 | 79 | 80 | 81 | 82 | 83 | 84 | 85 | 86 | 87 | 88 | 89 | 90 | 91 | 92 | 93 | 94 | 95 | 96 | 97 | 98 | 99 | 100 | 101 | 102 | 103 | 104 | 105 | 106 | 107 | 108 | 109 | 110 | 111 | 112 | 113 | 114 | 115 | 116 | 117 | 118 | 119 | 120 | 121 | 122 | 123 | 124 | 125 | 126 | 127 | 128 | 129 | 130 | 131 | 132 | 133 | 134 | 135 | 136 | 137 | 138 | 139 | 140 | 141 | 142 | 143 | 144 | 145 | 146 | 147 | 148 | 149 | 150 | 151 | 152 | 153 | 154 | 155 | 156 | 157 | 158 | 159 | 160 | 161 | 162 | 163