Officials busy shielding GMC scamsters, alleges RTI activist

AMRITSAR: RTI activist Ravinder Sultanwind, who had blown the lid off the multi-crore scam in the purchase of patient examination tables by Government Medical College, has accused the Health Department of sitting on the case file to save 20 officials who were found guilty by a Vigilance inquiry.

Tribune News Service

Amritsar, June 9

RTI activist Ravinder Sultanwind, who had blown the lid off the multi-crore scam in the purchase of patient examination tables by Government Medical College, has accused the Health Department of sitting on the case file to save 20 officials who were found guilty by a Vigilance inquiry.

Sultanwind, based on the Vigilance Bureau (VB) replies to his RTI queries, said, “The VB has written many times to the Directorate of Medical Education and Research for its comments on the action but the department has not cared to reply. So, the VB has failed to take action.”

Sultanwind showed copies of the letters written by the VB to the Directorate of Medical Education and Research on January 16 and March 8 this year. “Such letters have been written by the VB earlier too but it seems that the department is trying to shield the guilty officials,” he said.

The VB inquiry has stated that 25 remote-controlled patient examination tables, 42 examination tables (without remote) and 15 patient trolleys were purchased by the college in the financial year of 2011-12 for Rs 3,73,27,500. The VB inquiry had stated that the purchase was made without need and during verification of the purchased items in 2014 it was found that none of the tables were ever used and were dumped in the stores.

The inquiry had held 20 senior officials of the college guilty of extravagant purchase and recommended action against them. The file was forwarded to Chief Minister’s officer during the previous government in 2015.

“It is strange that the medical education and research department has not given comments on the file when the VB is asking for it for the last three years. Most of the officials held responsible for the purchase have already retired and drawn their retirement benefits,” he said.

“Common patient are being troubled amid shortage of common medicines, but higher officials purchased examination tables for over Rs 4.5 lakh per piece. These were never used,” he said, adding that he would launch a protest outside the medical college if the department didn’t give up shielding guilty officials.