New Delhi: Stepping up attack on Congress-led Punjab government over alleged medical scam in the state, BJP Spokesperson Gaurav Bhatia on Tuesday demanded the resignation of Chief Minister Captain Amarinder Singh by saying that his administration is unable to control irregularities and corruption. He said that despite everyone is reeling under the Covid crisis, the BMW model of Congress is continuously creating trouble in Punjab and Rajasthan.
Read:| Punjab opposition parties allege 'irregularities' in purchase of 'Fateh kit'
Bhatia alleged that the Congress-led Punjab government had sold vaccines to private hospitals at a profit with the private facilities selling them to people at a much higher price so that the money is diverted to their bank accounts. He also said that there cannot be a fair probe amid corruption as long as Singh remains the Chief Minister. There is a "suit-boot ki sarkar" in Punjab which wants the poor to pay for vaccination at private hospitals, he claimed. Bhatia also stated that the state government first gave a tender for 17,000 'Fateh' kits for coronavirus patients to a firm for Rs 837 for a single unit and then awarded two more tenders in the next few weeks for Rs 1,226 and Rs 1,338 per unit during April.
He also alleged that the Mandatory Drug License was missing while purchasing the second and third tender and the tenders were passed in a hurry, at high prices, without transparency from people's money. The last tender cost nearly 60 per cent more than the first one, he said, accusing the Congress of finding means for corruption and scam even during the times of a pandemic. "It is a matter of shame that the Congress is doing scam during the pandemic," he alleged at a press conference. Firms that got the tender also did not have a mandatory drug licence, he alleged, a day after opposition parties in the state, including the Shiromani Akali Dal and the Aam Aadmi Party, alleged irregularities in the purchase of 'Fateh' kits.
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A 'Fateh' kit contains a pulse oximeter, a thermometer, face masks, a steamer, sanitisers, vitamin C, zinc tablets and some medicines for COVID-19 patients. "The guilty should be punished," Bhatia said, and also demanded that Congress president Sonia Gandhi and her son Rahul Gandhi break their "silence" on the matter.
The fresh accusation comes a few days after the opposition accused the Punjab government of “diverting” coronavirus vaccines to private hospitals. The Punjab government had last week asked private hospitals to return all vaccine stocks meant for the 18-44 age group, following severe criticism.
(with agency inputs)
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