Shimla: Himachal Youth Congress President Yadupati Thakur has raised serious doubts over the functioning of the health department in outsourcing of the Indira Gandhi Medical College and Hospital kitchen and distribution of food to the patients to a favorite.
Bringing it under scanner, Thakur addressing a press conference alleged that the hospital administration instead of running the hospital kitchen themselves were bent upon outsourcing it to facilitate a firm of an individual who claims to be close to the Chief Minister.
“The hospital administration used to incur an annual expenditure of Rs 2 crore 39 lakh when it was run by them. However, after the outsourcing it is being given the same work at Rs 4 crore 96 lakh,” he charged.
Alleging of a scam in the whole process to allot the tender to the firm, he said that the firm to whom the tender is allotted has previously undertaken same work in the Government Medical College, Nerchowk Mandi and the incumbent principal of IGMC was the then Principal at Medical College Nerchowk.
After the tender process was completed through unscrupulous means, the firm had written to the state government that it would not be able to run the kitchen for Rs 2 crore 39 lakhs and the amount be increased, after which the amount was increased to Rs 4 crore 96 lakh, alleged Thakur.
He further said that that the firm owner hails from Saraj and is the same person on whom an FIR was booked for spreading Corona on 28 July last year.
Raising further doubts on the credentials, he charged that the experience that the firm holds in doing such work in the health sector is from Bihar and Uttar Pradesh.
Thakur has demanded intervention of the Chief Minister and Health Minister for a fair inquiry into the entire matter.
“Every document should be examined thoroughly through independent agency so that the truth can be revealed to the public,” he asserted.
“If there is no clarification within 10 days, the youth wing of the Congress Party will hold protest and gherao the Chief Minister and the Health Minister,” he cautioned.
“We are also seeking legal opinion in the matter and if inquiry is not marked by the government, we will knock the doors of the Court,” said Thakur.
