RAJ KUMAR
Ranchi, April 19: Health minister Banna Gupta sent a legal notice to independent legislator Saryu Roy through his lawyer Sanjay Mishra.
Through the notice, Gupta’s advocate took strong exception to the way Roy leveled allegations of taking corona incentive against him and defamed.
Expressing his concern over the defamatory statement, Gupta asked Roy to seek an apology within three days. Failing which, Gupta has threatened him with legal action.
Reacting to the notice, Roy said he will not reply and wait for the legal action.
Roy had alleged that as many as 60 persons, including drivers, typists, cleanliness workers, and computer operators besides 34 body guards associated with state health minister Banna Gupta’s cell attempted to get one month’s additional salary as an incentive for working during the corona pandemic against the set norms.
Roy made the revelation by writing a letter to chief minister Hemant Soren for 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 health department officials to not 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 beneficiary of incentive on March 7, 2022.
According to norms, only those were entitled for receiving incentives who 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.
