RAJ KUMAR
Ranchi, March 23: State Health Minister Banna Gupta today lost his cool after BJP legislator C.P.Singh supported by Congress MLA Pradeep Yadav cornered him over the incomplete answer in matter involving withdrawal of salary by Dr Renuka Choudhary for five years with the help of fake attendance.
In a fit of rage, the minister went on saying ‘Aap Utne Vidwan Nahi hai (you are not scholar)’ to Yadav and told Singh that he will take tuition from the latter on how to write on the file.
The situation came when Singh asked minister Gupta about the action the government planned against the doctor and those involved in the racket. The supplementary question of Singh came after the minister accepted the irregularities on the part of the then medical-in-charge of Jamshedpur who withdrew salary by making fake attendance for 5 years without duty.
The minister in response to the supplementary question said the matter is pending in the Jharkhand High Court and action will be taken in accordance with the high court order. The minister replied the same in response to the supplementary question though in reply to the primary question there was no mention of the legal position of the case.
This reply irked Singh and Yadav both. Both took it as an attempt to mislead the house on the issue and were of the opinion that the minister should sign on the reply carefully. Yadav started demanding an assembly committee on the matter.
In a fit of rage Gupta went on saying that the matter arose at the time of the Raghubar Das government. He said officers of the previous government had given a wrong answer on this. The investigation also went wrong. At present also the answer given by the officers is wrong.
After Gupta realised that the matter was taking a serious turn he calmed down and assured proper action against the officers attempting to mislead the house.
