AAP alleges scam in Karnataka's Covid-19 procurement

The Arvind Kejriwal-led Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) on Thursday accused Health Minister K Sudhakar of favouring two companies to supply medical equipment to his department.

According to Mohan Dasari, president of AAP Bengaluru, the alleged irregularity was in the procurement of biochemistry and haematology instruments by Karnataka Drug Warehousing and Logistics Society (KDWLS), resulting in losses to the tune of Rs 39 crore to the state exchequer.

Not only were the companies favoured, the government also ended up paying more for equipment which were procured at a cheaper price by a few other states, he
charged.

When contacted, Sudhakar’s office dismissed the allegations levelled by AAP.

Short-notice tenders were floated by KDWLS in September 2020 for the supply of a semi-automatic biochemistry analyser, fully automated biochemistry analyser and a 3-part haematology cell counter. Soon after, the specifications of the tender were changed, allegedly to benefit two companies.

“If it was re-tender, the government is not supposed to change the tender specifications,” Mohan pointed out.

Only one company submitted bids for the tender, he said, alleging that specifications were made to suit only that company, due to which major suppliers of the equipment stayed away from bidding.

“Most of the companies which participated in the pre-bid meeting requested authorities to change specifications, which fell on deaf ears,” he said. The entire episode was at Sudhakar’s behest, he alleged, adding that this was done for kickbacks.

But Sudhakar’s office claimed that specifications were changed to ensure supply of better equipment.