Marandi alleges RIMS Director removed for opposing corruption 

Ranchi, April 18: Leader of Opposition Babulal Marandi has alleged that Dr. Rajkumar, the recently removed Director of Rajendra Institute of Medical Sciences (RIMS), was ousted from his post for opposing corrupt practices involving senior government officials, including the Health Minister.

Marandi stated that during a recent RIMS Governing Council meeting, Dr. Rajkumar was pressured by the Health Minister and the Departmental Secretary to authorize payments worth several crores of rupees to private diagnostic centers that had no valid contracts with RIMS. When the Director refused to comply with these alleged irregular demands, he reportedly offered to resign on the spot.

According to social media posts and other sources, the Departmental Secretary allegedly undermined the dignity of the Governing Council during the meeting, further intensifying the controversy.

Marandi criticized the government for removing Dr. Rajkumar, claiming it revealed the administration’s intent to continue what he called a ‘game of corruption’ within the state’s largest public hospital. He pointed out that this was not the first instance, as several RIMS directors during Hemant Soren’s previous tenure also faced premature exits for resisting undue pressure.

He further remarked, “If the government has no intention of following the recommendations of the Governing Council, it would be better to dissolve it altogether rather than convening meaningless meetings.” Marandi accused Chief Minister Hemant Soren of turning RIMS into a hub of organized corruption.