Amritsar, May 12
After Mr R. Venkataratnam, the Vigilance Bureau may seek permission to initiate action against another senior IAS officer, who was allegedly involved in the purchase of substandard medicines. The IAS officer concerned had additional charge of the post of Director, Research and Medical Education, when huge purchases were made.
According to sources in Chandigarh, the state Vigilance Bureau may also register a case against members of the purchase committee and the Bathinda-based company which had purchased the substandard medicines.
It may be mentioned here that the Vigilance Bureau had sealed several medical stores here and in other parts of the state. The raids were also conducted at Faridkot and Patiala. During the investigation, the medicines were found to be underweight or of substandard quality. However, the local medical authorities had put the entire blame on the purchase committee which had scruitinised the samples supplied by the company.
Dr Baljit Singh Dhillon, general secretary of the Punjab Medical and Dental Teachers Association, attributed the purchase of substandard medicines to change of four Directors, Research and Medical Education, (DRME) in one-and-half years. He alleged due to uncertainty in the department, the DRMEs made purchases hurriedly with a motive to get “hefty commissions”.
He said though the Medical College Hospital, Amritsar, had earned Rs 18 crore after imposing user charges the state government failed to supply good quality drugs/medicines in the past. The association sought action against the officials concerned including an IAS officer, who were responsible for such purchases. The total purchase made in the past two years is said to be more than Rs 5 crore.
