Karnataka Congress government has taken legal action in connection with an alleged COVID-19 procurement scam, registering an FIR over the misappropriation of ₹167 crore during the purchase of PPE kits and medical supplies between September 2020 and June 2021.
Dr. Vishnuprasad M., the chief financial advisor to the medical education department, filed the complaint, accusing government officials, elected representatives, and private companies of financial irregularities. Among the accused are Dr. Girish PG, former director of the medical education department, Raghu PG from the accounts and audit department, and Muniraju N., a health equipment officer. Private companies involved include Bengaluru-based Laj Exports and Mumbai-based Prudent Management Solutions.
The FIR highlights discrepancies in government procurement records, including the purchase of 15.5 lakh PPE kits valued at ₹203.6 crore and 42.1 lakh N-95 masks costing ₹9.7 crore.
A key focus of the complaint is a contract approved on August 18, 2020, for COVID-19 care supplies worth ₹41.3 crore. Laj Exports was tasked with delivering 2.5 lakh PPE kits at ₹1,312.5 per unit within 15 days. However, there is no documentation verifying the delivery of these kits to hospitals.
Additionally, Prudent Management Solutions was awarded a contract for 55,784 PPE kits worth ₹7.3 crore, allegedly bypassing standard procurement protocols. The FIR also notes violations of the Karnataka Transparency in Public Procurement Act, indicating systemic breaches in procurement practices.
Source of Information : https://airrnews.com/karnataka-files-1st-fir-in-rs-167cr-scam-related-to-covid-19-procurements-et-healthworld/
Your article helped me a lot, is there any more related content? Thanks!