LAGATAR24 NETWORK
Ranchi, Feb. 16: Independent MLA Saryu Roy on Thursday shot off a letter to the CBI Director seeking a probe into how five public sector drug manufacturers conspired with Jharkhand Health Minister Banna Gupta to supply generic medicines at a very high price which led to loss of around 200 crore to the public exchequer.
Roy, known as a crusader against corruption, met the CBI IG here, and handed over the letter addressed to the Director to probe the medicine scam.
In his letter, the MLA has said that five pharmaceutical companies of the Government of India conspired with the Health Minister and are supplying medicines at very high prices from the year 2020-21 till now. The names of these companies are 1- Indian Drugs & Pharmaceuticals Ltd. (IDPL), 2- Karnataka Antibiotics & Pharmaceuticals Ltd. (KAPL), 3- Rajasthan Drugs & Pharmaceuticals Ltd. (RDPL), 4- Bengal Chemicals & Pharmaceuticals Ltd. (BCPL) and 5-Hindustan Antibiotics Ltd (HAL).
He has pointed out that the Government of Jharkhand has formed a public undertaking, namely “Jharkhand Medical and Health Infrastructure Development and Procurement Corporation Limited”. (JMHIDPCL)” for the purchase of medicines and medical equipment.
The undertaking published a tender on 22.04.2020 for the purchase of medicines. After the execution of the tender, the tenderer suppliers with the lowest rates were selected for the supply of various medicines.
The corporation thereafter sent a letter to the selected drug suppliers on the basis of tender, mentioning the minimum rate, that they should make an agreement in this regard.
However, medicines were not supplied at the tender rate. Instead a proposal was prepared in the departmental file that the purchase of medicines should be done from the above mentioned five PSUs of the Government of India at the rate fixed by them. Accordingly, the Health Department prepared a protocol to get the approval of the Council of Ministers of the State Government on this decision. This agreement was approved in the meeting of the Council of Ministers on 03.02.2021. Accordingly, the departmental secretary issued its notification.
“After this, the health department’s conspiracy to buy medicines at a very high rate became successful, which is still going on.”
Questions
Raising a question, the MLA asked as to when the open tender was published for the purchase of medicines in 2020-21, then why the above-mentioned drug manufacturing companies of the central government did not participate in the tender?
“On the basis of tender, a letter was sent to those who would supply medicines at the lowest rate, then why the supply of medicines was not taken from them?,” he asked.
“By whose order did this happen? On whose order the decision to purchase medicines from the Central Public Sector Undertakings at a higher rate was taken by the Health Department?
While taking this decision, whether the rates of medicines of suppliers selected on tender and the rates of medicines of companies selected on nomination were compared in the departmental file or not? Because of this, has the health department assessed the additional burden of billions of rupees on the state exchequer or not?,” he has asked.
Roy, in his letter, has pointed out that the file goes to the Cabinet Secretariat Department for the approval of the Council of Ministers, only after the Health Minister gives consent to the proposal to purchase medicines from the nomination reserved in the relevant file and signs the note side of the file.
“The question is whether the ministerial treasury of the Health Minister looked into this matter of buying medicines at a higher rate or not? Generally, before sending such matters for the approval of the Council of Ministers, the department obtains consent from the Finance Department on the memorandum form.,” he has said.
Health Minister Banna Gupta did not respond to the call made to get his comments on the charges levelled by Saryu Roy.
