RAJ KUMAR
Ranchi, April 13: As many as 60 persons, including drivers, typists, cleanliness workers, and computer operators besides 34 bodyguards associated with Jharkhand Health Minister Banna Gupta’s cell got one month’s additional salary as an incentive for working during the corona pandemic against the set norms.
Roy, a crusader against corruption who defeated former Chief Minister Raghubar Das in the 2019 assembly election, made the revelation today writing a letter to Chief Minister Hemant Soren for a proper probe and necessary action in the matter.
Roy said the incentive was given under the direction of the department minister despite all attempts of the health department officials not to do so.
The letter mentions that officers of the health department made minister Gupta aware of the rule for payment of incentives for work done during the corona pandemic on March 4, 2022, but the minister did not bother for the same and returned the file adding one additional name in the list of beneficiaries of incentive on March 7, 2022.
According to norms, only those were entitled for receiving incentive that were directly involved in the work of contact tracing, testing, and supervision and were deputed at covid hospitals, covid ward, offices and control room. The Health department had prepared a list of 94 health workers for payment of incentive according to set norms but the health minister sent additional 60 names from his cell paving the path of March loot.
