The state government has announced the formation of a special investigative team to look into allegations of purchase of pulse oximeters and thermometers at higher than prescribed market rates.
A three member team has been formed to look into the charge under the chief minister’s zero tolerance policy.
A few days ago, Devmani Dwivedi, a BJP MLA from Sultanpur had charged the district administration of buying items for the COVID-19 surveillance kits at more than three times the government approved rates. He had written to the Principal Secretary, Panchayati Raj calling for an inquiry into the same. Sultanpur is one of the districts in which the said inquiry is to be conducted and a report submitted within ten days.
On June 23, the state government had issued orders for the procurement of pulse oximeters and infrared thermometers and sanitizers as part of the COVID-19 surveillance kits to be made available at the gram panchayat level. A one-time fund transfer from the state finance commission was to be made for the same. Complaints have since been received that the same were procured at much higher prices than what was notified by the government.
In Sultanpur for instance, as per the complaint of the MLA the items were purchased at Rs 9,950 despite a government cap of Rs 2,800. Sultanpur’s DM had issued a clarification on the same, specifying that decentralised purchase of the equipment was undertaken given the urgency of the situation. The government order specifying the rates for the equipment was made later and consequent to this the district administration had put a stop to payments to all such vendors who had supplied the items at inflated rates.
A note issued by the state government on Thursday afternoon said, “The chief minister has always insisted that there will be zero tolerance towards corruption. If any information about the same is received from any level, effective action shall be taken against the same”.
