THE JHARKHAND STORY NETWORK
Ranchi, July 13: Independent MLA Saryu Roy today set a July 31 deadline for the Jharkhand Government to take action against Health Minister Banna Gupta for various alleged scams in the health department.
Roy, in a letter to the chief secretary, said that he had already drawn the attention of the Chief Minister and the Chief Secretary with concrete evidence.
“I have also raised some serious cases of the Health Department in the Jharkhand Assembly, in which misleading answers were given by the government. The assurances given by the government during the debate have also not been complied with,” he has pointed out.
Covid incentive amount scam
“In the Covid incentive amount scam, the Health Minister has submitted the bill to the Project Bhawan Treasury to deposit the incentive amount in his bank account in an improper manner. In the name of his Minister’s cell, he has given instructions to give COVID incentive amounts to 59 employees, whereas the number of officers and employees in the Minister’s cell is only 6,” he has said.
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“I informed the Chief Minister about such corrupt conduct of the Health Minister with proof. But no action was taken. On the contrary, the Health Department filed a case against me under the Official Secrets Act,” he lamented.
Drug scam
“After the minimum price for the purchase of medicines was fixed based on tender, a conspiracy was hatched in the Health Department to purchase medicines at a higher rate based on nomination, for which the Health Minister presented a document to the Council of Ministers by hiding the facts. Crores of rupees were deliberately defrauded from the government treasury by throwing dust in the eyes of the Council of Ministers. No action has been taken to date in this serious case of corruption,” he has pointed out.
Transfer-posting of senior doctors
“Similarly, I gave the list of cases of irregular transfer-posting of senior doctors to the government. The transfer-posting of doctors of the pay scale, the right of which lies with the Chief Minister and the high-level committee constituted under his chairmanship, was also done by the Health Minister dozens of times at his level,” he has said.
“The Speaker of the Assembly gave a ruling in the House regarding this, but the government did not implement it either. If the government had implemented the rulings of the Speaker of the Assembly, corruption in the health department would have been curbed and action would have been taken against the culprits. This game of transfer-posting is directly related to the massive corruption in the purchase of medicines and medical equipment,” he has said.
Roy, known as a crusader against corruption, alleged that various scams in the health department have a direct adverse effect on public health, public interest and state interest, causing damage to the treasury.
“Failure to stop it and not taking action against its culprits increases the morale of those who indulge in corrupt practices,” he said.
