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Hindustan Times
10-05-2025
- Health
- Hindustan Times
Delhi govt seeks nod to probe Jain, Bharadwaj for graft
The Delhi government's Anti-Corruption Branch (ACB) has sought the Centre's approval to initiate an inquiry under Section 17A of the Prevention of Corruption Act against Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) leaders Saurabh Bharadwaj and Satyendar Jain, both former health ministers in the Arvind Kejriwal cabinet. The request stems from a complaint filed by Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) MLA Vijender Gupta in August 2024, alleging 'large-scale corruption' in the health department involving 24 hospital projects worth over ₹5,500 crore, officials aware of the matter said. The complaint accuses the ministers of sanctioning 11 greenfield and 13 brownfield hospital projects in 2018-19, which have since faced delays and massive cost overruns. Joint commissioner of police Madhur Verma, who heads the ACB, said a preliminary review points to possible fund siphoning, inflated project budgets, and deliberate rejection of cost-effective options. 'Among the projects under scrutiny are seven ICU hospitals with 6,800 beds, approved for ₹1,125 crore. These were to be completed within six months starting September 2021 but remain only 50% complete after three years, despite ₹800 crore already spent. No new funds have been allocated in the current budget, stalling the initiative,' he said. The ACB also flagged the Lok Nayak Hospital project, where costs jumped from ₹465 crore to ₹1,125 crore in four years. Similar irregularities were found in the Polyclinic Project—only 52 of 94 proposed clinics were built, while costs rose from ₹168 crore to ₹220 crore. 'Most of these polyclinics lie unused, suggesting the project may have served as a front for embezzling public funds. The decade-long delay in the Health Information Management System (HIMS) project also raises red flags. Since 2016, it has been deliberately stalled, and cost-effective options like NIC's free e-Hospital system were repeatedly rejected. These actions point to a consistent pattern of inflating costs, delaying work, misallocating funds, and creating idle assets—amounting to gross misconduct and corruption,' Verma said. A senior vigilance directorate official said the matter has been sent to the Centre, which has forwarded it to the President for a decision, as it involves former ministers. 'If approved, the move could trigger a high-profile inquiry into Delhi's healthcare infrastructure push,' the official said. 'This is part of due process,' Verma added. 'Once the necessary clearances are received, the inquiry will formally begin.' The AAP, meanwhile, dismissed the allegations as politically motivated. 'BJP, the LG, and agencies like ACB have lost all credibility. These are desperate attempts to divert attention from their own failures,' the party said in a statement Friday. The AAP defended the hospital projects, saying they were launched in response to dire Covid-19 projections that anticipated 5.5 lakh infections and a need for 80,000 hospital beds. 'The government acted fast, and with the pandemic subsiding, priorities were adjusted accordingly.' The party also blamed the current BJP-led administration for cost escalations and stalled work. 'Even the present government has failed to provide adequate funds for completion. Why aren't senior bureaucrats like the then PWD secretary being scrutinised? If there was corruption, why is he not under the scanner?' The LG's office declined HT's requests for comment on the matter.
The Hindu
09-05-2025
- Health
- The Hindu
‘56% deliveries take place in govt. hospitals in T.N.'
: Health Minister Ma. Subramanian on Friday said 56% of deliveries in Tamil Nadu took place in government hospitals, and of this, 83% were in the Comprehensive Emergency Obstetric and Newborn Care (CEmONC) centres. At a workshop on Strategies on Reduction of MMR (Maternal Mortality Ratio), he said the State accounted for 99.9% institutional deliveries (8.02 lakh). According to the Health Information Management System, the State's MMR was 39 per 1,00,000 live births during 2024-2025. Every month, special measures are taken to identify pregnant women who have complications during gestation period. Once identified, they are advised or treated by obstetricians. All government medical college hospitals have high dependency units to treat pregnant women who develop complications during pregnancy or after delivery, he said. He handed over appreciation certificates to doctors who took measures to reduce maternal deaths. Arun Thamburaj, Mission Director, National Health Mission, Tamil Nadu, and E. Theranirajan, additional director of Medical Education and Research were present.
Time of India
09-05-2025
- Health
- Time of India
Vigilance Seeks Centre's Nod To Probe Jain And Bharadwaj
New Delhi: Directorate of Vigilance (DoV) of Delhi govt sought permission from central govt to conduct an inquiry under Prevention of Corruption (PoC) Act against former ministers Satyendar Jain and Saurabh Bharadwaj for alleged irregularities and corruption in various projects of the health and family welfare department, including 24 hospital projects during the tenure of AAP in Delhi govt said the recommendation was sent by the chief secretary to lieutenant governor VK Saxena. LG recently gave his nod to place the matter before President of India, stating that as per Section 17A(C) of PoC Act, she is the competent authority in the the allegations, AAP said if there was any corruption, the secretary of Public Works Department should be questioned first. "How can there be an inquiry against the ministers without any inquiry against the head of the department or the principal secretary of PWD?" it MLA Vijender Gupta submitted a complaint to the anti-corruption branch of Delhi govt on Aug 22, 2024, alleging "rampant corruption" plaguing the health department. The Rohini MLA alleged that 24 hospital projects—11 greenfield and 13 brownfield—were sanctioned in 2018-19 with a total cost of Rs 5,590 crore, but those were mired in "inexplicable delays and astronomical cost overruns". He added that seven ICU hospitals, designed as pre-engineered structures with a total bed capacity of 6,800, were sanctioned at an estimated cost of Rs 1,125 crore in Sept 2021, but only 50% were completed in three years, and Rs 800 crore of public money was "wasted".Gupta also alleged that the construction cost of a new block at Lok Nayak Hospital increased from Rs 465 crore to Rs 1,125 crore, and only 52 polyclinics were built out of the 94 planned, but the cost jumped from Rs 168 crore to Rs 220 crore. There was a long delay in implementing Health Information Management System and the project was deliberately stalled since 2016, he said it found the matter "grave" in nature and sought comments from the health department and PWD. While the health secretary responded that there were "issues which can be looked into by ACB", PWD said a "thorough vigilance inquiry was recommended".Examining the proposal submitted by the anti-corruption branch and the comments furnished by the health secretary and PWD, DoV observed that the construction of hospitals was not completed in the stipulated time due to upgradation in specifications and facilities after the award of work. It added that due diligence in estimate preparation and planning was not done, resulting in an abnormal increase in cost, and the escalation of arbitration costs resulted in an unnecessary burden on the govt exchequer. "There can be some hidden facts and evidence in the matter that attract an inquiry… to unearth the lapses committed in the matter, in-depth inquiry/investigation is required," it added that ACB also mentioned that the allegations of consistent inflating of project costs, deliberate delays, rejection of cost-effective solutions, miscalculation of funds and creation of idle assets were serious in nature and required an to the allegations, AAP said when Covid-19 cases started rising, there were projections that Delhi might have 5.5 lakh cases of coronavirus and might need 80,000 hospital beds, especially ICU ones. "AAP govt mobilised its financial resources to build these hospitals at the fastest possible pace. Later, the threat of corona subsided, and the priorities of govt were calibrated accordingly," it claimed."Even today's BJP govt has not provided enough funds to complete the construction of these hospital buildings. This is also leading to cost inflation. Such practices in govt are common and cannot be termed as corruption," the party said. "After initial sanctions, no file for revised sanction ever came to the ministers. If there was any corruption, the PWD secretary should be questioned... BJP govt believes it can spend five years by just tomtomming the so-called inquiries," AAP said.
