Claiming to have unearthed a multi-crore scam in purchase of medicines and other related items in the Haryana Health Department in various districts, the state’s principal Opposition party, the Indian National Lok Dal (INLD) on Sunday sought a Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) inquiry in to the said matter.

Addressing a press conference here, INLD’s Lok Sabha MP from Hisar, Dushyant Chautala, alleged that norms were violated during the purchases made at the district level by the concerned officials during the present BJP rule in the state.

Chautala said his party had gathered information from five districts including Rewari, Hisar, Faridabad, Rohtak and Jind through an RTI query unearthing the alleged scam involving purchases worth over Rs 100 crore.

He said, “We have sought replies to our RTI queries from all the 22 districts. According to our estimates, the total scam will be over Rs 300 crore. The matter should be investigated by the CBI.”Chautala said, “According to official information, any kind of medicines or implements used in hospitals, for example cotton rolls, face masks, medicines and other equipment, are purchased through a centralised quotation that is approved by the state government and forwarded to various districts.

Over the past three years, there has been a government centralised tender, but every district called for their own quotations too, violating norms. They have not purchased at tender mode. Some items were purchased at highly inflated rates.”

He cited as an example, a face mask which was worth 95 Paisa, but  in Fatehabad it had been purchased for Rs 4.95. Similarly, in Rohtak, there was a purchase of Hepatitis B medicine worth Rs 3 crore in a period of three-and-a-half months, but that purchase had not been approved by any committee.

Purchases were made with average quotations being above Rs 19 lakh, he added.

The MP alleged that as per the state government rules, all tenders above Rs 5 lakh should be put on online portal, but no such process was followed during the purchase of the items in the past few years.

In Jind district, the government tender rate for pregnancy strips was Rs 2.80, however, it was purchased at the rate of Rs 28. “Purchases were made under various schemes including the National Health Mission and “Mukhya Mantri Muft Ilaaj Yojana”, he added.

Chautala also alleged that in many cases fake addresses were given of the companies and medical stores from where the purchases were made.

In many cases, bills generated for the purchases were found in the name of general stores and laundry shops, he added.

He said senior government officials and key officials from Haryana Pharmacy Council were involved in the alleged scam.