Raipur
The Economic Offenses Wing (EOW) will investigate the Rs 660-crore reagent procurement scam by Chhattisgarh Medical Services Corporation (CGMSC) Limited, as announced by Health Minister Shyam Bihari Jaiswal during the Chhattisgarh Assembly’s winter session on Friday. The announcement came during a call attention motion raised in the house.
BJP MLA Dharamlal Kaushik highlighted the issue in the Assembly, alleging corruption in the procurement process. Responding to the allegations, Health Minister Jaiswal accused the previous government of orchestrating systematic corruption. He revealed that reagents were supplied without necessity or demand, with Rs 28 crore worth of reagents already rendered unusable and more potentially facing the same fate.
Investigative reports highlighted irregularities in the procurement process. Government disclosures in previous Assembly sessions revealed that Corporation supplied reagents at prices significantly higher than market rates, earning exorbitant profits.
For instance, reagents priced at Rs 31,000 in the market were purchased for Rs 1,96,000. Similarly, another reagent costing Rs 28,417 was procured at Rs 1,76,000. A notable case involved D-Dimer FS reagents, which were priced at Rs 70,000 in the market but purchased for Rs 5,86,000. The overall expenditure for procuring 182 testing devices, machines, and chemical reagents was Rs 608 crore, with profit margins ranging from four to 200 times the market price.
An audit conducted by the Office of the Principal Accountant General between January 29, 2021, and March 15, 2021, flagged irregularities in purchases worth Rs 193 crore. Despite objections in the audit report, tenders were not canceled, and Corporation continued its supplies.
The controversy has sparked significant political debate, with BJP leaders submitting a complaint to Chief Minister Vishnudeo Sai, urging strict action. The Assembly proceedings highlighted the urgency for accountability and transparency in public procurement processes.
