15 tainted firms given contract to buy drugs: BJP

Tribune News Service

Mandi, July 3

The BJP has alleged that the Animal Husbandry Department awarded a contract to purchase medicines to 15 blacklisted companies. 

Talking to mediapersons, state BJP in-charge Praveen Sharma said the Animal Husbandry Department had signed the contract with 30 pharmaceutical companies to purchase medicines for 2014-15 on January 25, 2015. Of the 30 companies, 15 were blacklisted or debarred either by the Centre or other state governments, he alleged.

Sharma said they had lodged a complaint with the minister concerned and Chief Minister Virbhadra Singh and demanded a probe, but nothing had happened.

Before awarding a contract, it was mandatory to get an affidavit from the firm, mentioning that it was not debarred or blacklisted by any government and no substandard medicines were supplied by it, he said.

Sharma said though the matter was brought to the notice of the minister, no probe was ordered and the contract was not cancelled. 

He said the party demanded a fair probe and the guilty should be brought to book.

He alleged that state firms, which were supplying medicines at cheaper rates, were kept out of the tender process by increasing the minimum turnover limit to Rs 15 crore.

Sharma also alleged that four peons in the Animal Husbandry Department were appointed in violation of the laws.

He said nearly 1,000 candidates applied for the posts, but the department appointed them without holding the written test.

He demanded that the appointment should be cancelled and a written test should be conducted for the appointment. 

Minister shrugs off charges

Rural Development and Animal Husbandry Minister Anil Sharma today refuted the allegations levelled against him by the BJP.

The minister said he would quit the politics if the BJP prove the allegations.

He said the transparency was maintained and not even a single blacklisted firm was given the contract. 

Affidavits were taken from the firms before entering the tender process that they were not blacklisted anywhere in the country, he added.

The minister said a few complaints were received, but on inquiry, no allegations against the firms were found to be true.

He said if the BJP leaders had any doubts, they could take away documents from him or could get these under the RTI Act. If the party failed to prove the allegations, he would file a defamation case against it, he added.