<p>Bengaluru: Bengaluru police on Friday registered the first FIR in the Covid scam that allegedly took place during the previous BJP regime. </p><p>The state government is likely to form a Special Investigation Team (SIT) under an ADGP on Saturday to investigate the scam pegged at Rs 167 crore. </p><p>The FIR, lodged under IPC sections 120B, 403, 406 and 409 and the Karnataka Transparency in Public Procurement (KTPP) Act, names a former director of the Medical Education Department, another government official, two private companies and unidentified elected representatives.</p><p>The FIR is based on a complaint from Dr Vishnuprasad M, Chief Accounting Officer and Financial Advisor to the Medical Education Department.</p>.CAG raps Karnataka government as schools charged Rs 345 crore excess during Covid.<p>It details various irregularities in the procurement of N95 masks, PPE kits and other equipment during the first and second waves of the pandemic from September 19, 2020, to June 15, 2021.</p><p>According to the FIR, the Medical Education Department's then director Dr Girish PG, the State Accounts and Audit Department's joint director Raghu G P and Health Equipment Officer Muniraju N colluded with Bengaluru-based Laj Exports Limited, Mumbai's Prudent Management Solutions and politicians to carry out the irregularities.</p><p>Records show that department officials, in collusion with politicians and private companies, procured 15.51 lakh PPE kits worth Rs 203.66 crore and 42.15 lakh N-95 masks worth Rs 9.75 crore in violation of the KTPP Act and other laws, the FIR notes. </p><p>On August 18, 2020, the state government had given conditional approval for the procurement of Covid care equipment worth Rs 41.35 crore — 2.59 lakh N-95 masks and as many PPE kits. These items were to be supplied to 17 government medical colleges, one government super-speciality hospital, doctors and other medical staff. </p>.Karnataka govt to re-open probe into 2021 Chamarajanagar Covid tragedy.<p>According to the FIR, three companies had participated in the tender. Laj Exports, the lowest bidder, was given the contract to supply 2.59 lakh PPE kits for Rs 1,312.5 apiece within 15 days. But there are now records to show these equipment were actually supplied to hospitals. What's more, around the same time, records show that Prudent Management Solutions was given another contract to supply not only 2.59 lakh PPE kits, but also an additional 55,784 PPE kits worth Rs 7.32 crore, in violation of rules. Another 13,784 PPE kits worth Rs 1.80 crore were similarly procured illegally and no records exist of where they were supplied. </p><p>The department placed five more orders for PPE kits and N-95 masks without any authorisation from the government. </p><p>An order was placed to supply 91,450 PPE kits and N-95 masks for Rs 23.31 crore, while one order for 6.22 lakh PPE kits worth Rs 81.68 crore was placed. </p><p>The department also paid Prudent Management Solutions Rs 13.16 crore for a PPE kit order even before the government had released the funds. </p><p>While records show that 3 lakh PPE kits were supplied to the Karnataka State Medical Supplies Corporation Limited (KSMSCL), an audit showed that only 2.67 lakh PPE kits were actually delivered.</p><p>A probe revealed that Laj Exports was not eligible to participate in the tender but was still given large contracts, the FIR notes. </p>
<p>Bengaluru: Bengaluru police on Friday registered the first FIR in the Covid scam that allegedly took place during the previous BJP regime. </p><p>The state government is likely to form a Special Investigation Team (SIT) under an ADGP on Saturday to investigate the scam pegged at Rs 167 crore. </p><p>The FIR, lodged under IPC sections 120B, 403, 406 and 409 and the Karnataka Transparency in Public Procurement (KTPP) Act, names a former director of the Medical Education Department, another government official, two private companies and unidentified elected representatives.</p><p>The FIR is based on a complaint from Dr Vishnuprasad M, Chief Accounting Officer and Financial Advisor to the Medical Education Department.</p>.CAG raps Karnataka government as schools charged Rs 345 crore excess during Covid.<p>It details various irregularities in the procurement of N95 masks, PPE kits and other equipment during the first and second waves of the pandemic from September 19, 2020, to June 15, 2021.</p><p>According to the FIR, the Medical Education Department's then director Dr Girish PG, the State Accounts and Audit Department's joint director Raghu G P and Health Equipment Officer Muniraju N colluded with Bengaluru-based Laj Exports Limited, Mumbai's Prudent Management Solutions and politicians to carry out the irregularities.</p><p>Records show that department officials, in collusion with politicians and private companies, procured 15.51 lakh PPE kits worth Rs 203.66 crore and 42.15 lakh N-95 masks worth Rs 9.75 crore in violation of the KTPP Act and other laws, the FIR notes. </p><p>On August 18, 2020, the state government had given conditional approval for the procurement of Covid care equipment worth Rs 41.35 crore — 2.59 lakh N-95 masks and as many PPE kits. These items were to be supplied to 17 government medical colleges, one government super-speciality hospital, doctors and other medical staff. </p>.Karnataka govt to re-open probe into 2021 Chamarajanagar Covid tragedy.<p>According to the FIR, three companies had participated in the tender. Laj Exports, the lowest bidder, was given the contract to supply 2.59 lakh PPE kits for Rs 1,312.5 apiece within 15 days. But there are now records to show these equipment were actually supplied to hospitals. What's more, around the same time, records show that Prudent Management Solutions was given another contract to supply not only 2.59 lakh PPE kits, but also an additional 55,784 PPE kits worth Rs 7.32 crore, in violation of rules. Another 13,784 PPE kits worth Rs 1.80 crore were similarly procured illegally and no records exist of where they were supplied. </p><p>The department placed five more orders for PPE kits and N-95 masks without any authorisation from the government. </p><p>An order was placed to supply 91,450 PPE kits and N-95 masks for Rs 23.31 crore, while one order for 6.22 lakh PPE kits worth Rs 81.68 crore was placed. </p><p>The department also paid Prudent Management Solutions Rs 13.16 crore for a PPE kit order even before the government had released the funds. </p><p>While records show that 3 lakh PPE kits were supplied to the Karnataka State Medical Supplies Corporation Limited (KSMSCL), an audit showed that only 2.67 lakh PPE kits were actually delivered.</p><p>A probe revealed that Laj Exports was not eligible to participate in the tender but was still given large contracts, the FIR notes. </p>