Jamshedpur: Saryu drug scam slur against Banna, writes to Jharkhand Assembly speaker

Jamshedpur, October 6: Jamshedpur East MLA Saryu Roy has written to Jharkhand Assembly speaker for a probe into the irregularities done in drug procurement by health department.
The MLA has in the letter informed about a question asked on March 7 at the Assembly on the above mentioned subject and alleged that a misleading answer was given by the health minister Banna Gupta in the house.
“An assurance was given in the House that the health department will constitute a three-member inquiry committee to investigate the irregularities and it was said that the inquiry committee will complete the investigation in 30 days,” the letter informs.
“The three-member inquiry committee constituted on March 16 this year includes Bhuvanesh Pratap Singh, campaign director, National Health Mission; Alok Trivedi, additional secretary, Health Department and Jai Kishore Prasad, additional secretary, Health Department. However, the committee is yet to submit its report.
The Health Department dissolved this committee and in its place formed a committee of relatively junior officers.
Even after almost six months have passed, the results of the investigation committee have not come.
“Such conduct of government officials and departmental ministers is contempt of the House. As the guardian of the privilege of the House and the members of the House, I am raising this issue before you,” Saryu Roy writes.
The MLA alleged that medicines were purchased at higher rates by Health Department from the drug manufacturing companies of the Central Government.
The letter also alleges that council of ministers were kept in the dark about the fact that the department has issued a tender for the purchase of these medicines, the tender has been executed, the suppliers who will supply medicines at the lowest rate have been selected on the basis of the tender and the Central Government has approved the same.