Mega Covid scam in Nagpur Municipal Corporation, claims NCP’s Abha Pande

NAGPUR: Nationalist Congress Party’s state general secretary and independent corporator Abha Pande has alleged financial irregularities by Nagpur Municipal Corporation (NMC) in procurement of medical equipment and other logistics for the treatment of coronavirus patients.
Documents obtained by Pande showed that the NMC paid over Rs11,990 each for an infrared thermometer from one firm, while it procured similar equipment for Rs1,680 per piece.“The NMC purchased pulse oximeters for Rs5,000, Rs1,445, Rs1,792 and Rs2,400 each though it could get it for just Rs595,” alleged Pande.
Civic chief Radhakrishnan B said a detailed inquiry will be carried out in the allegations levelled by Pande.
Addressing a press conference here on Thursday, Pande claimed to have exposed irregularities in the NMC’s health department (medical) while spending money received under State Disaster Relief Fund (SDRF) and National Health Mission (NHM) funds.
The department provided information only regarding Rs5.28 crore expenditure. “Of this, I have figured out embezzlement of Rs1.50 crore. This could just be the tip of the iceberg while the magnitude of irregularities could possibly be much higher,” she claimed.
“The civic body procured PPE kits at Rs840 apiece, whereas private hospitals in the city procured the same for Rs500,” Pande said and added that each time the civic body purchased PPE kits, the rates were different. Citing an example, Pande claimed that for one bill of PPE kits, payments were made from both SDRF (Rs98,000) and NHM funds (Rs57.48 lakh).
Three pharmacists in NMC’s store department failed to provide details about whom they had supplied the infrared thermometers and pulse oximeters, she said.
Pande claimed that though she sought information about funds (received from both NHM and SDRF) spent for Covid-19 management, the health department did not provide her with the entire information.
During the first wave of Covid-19 in November 2020, the NMC had received 998 vials of Remdesivir injections from the government. Then, none of the NMC-run hospitals were treating Covid-19 patients. But the hospitals have no record of these vials, pointing out to a possible scam, said Pande.
For procuring medicines, the NMC followed high-rate contracts of Jalna, Bhandara and Amravati municipal corporations and ignored the committee formed (to oversee quality and other mandatory rules to be taken into consideration) by the then municipal commissioner Tukaram Mundhe.
All the proposals and work orders for procuring medical equipment and medicines pertaining to Covid-19 treatment were prepared without mentioning any dates, Pande alleged.
The NMC also misused the terms and conditions of the funds allotted by the government. “Instead of spending money on Covid-19 management, the civic body spent it on purchasing anti-rabies injections, show the documents,” said Pande.
She also wondered as to how despite being on sick leave, NMC’s then chief medical officer Yogendra Savai signed documents pertaining to procurement of medical equipment.
She further blamed the municipal commissioner Radhakrishnan B for turning a blind eye to this irregularity. Pande has also submitted a memorandum to Radhakrishnan demanding inquiry. If he fails to act in a fortnight, Pande said, she will approach the state government and will also seek legal redressal.