Scoop Ind favoured in place of 30 year GMC regular Govind Poy Oxygen Limited, made a killing doubling the annual supply of gas
The modus operandi was very simple. Vintage former Health MinisterVishwajeet Rane stuff . Create an artificial demand and replace it with afavoured supplier and make a killing. Only this time, the system bit off more thanit could chew.
In a shocking revelation, The Goan has found out that anewly chosen Gas producing company supplied to the Goa Medical College almost150% more cylinders than what was normally demanded by Goa’s premier medicalinstitution in 2011-12. The gas producer Scoop Industries supplied almost twicethe number of oxygen cylinders than what GMC was ordering normally over thepast five years causing the exchequer losses in the excess of Rs one crore.
A RTI in possession with The Goan reveals that even themedical gas cylinder supply to GMC was converted into a full fledged scam inthe last year of the previous Congress Government.
When Govind Poy Oxygen Limited that had been supplyingmedical oxygen and other medical gases to GMC, for more than 30 years regularlyat a low cost was suddenly eased out, In 2010, the erstwhile Congressgovernment, without assigning any reason floated fresh tenders for supply ofmedical gas and allotted the tender to Arlem based Scoop Ind Pvt Ltd. Scoop IndPvt Ltd that began supplying of the gas to GMC in the last week of December,2010. A year later the total supply of all gases supplied by Scoop Ind Pvt Ltdshot up by a whopping 147% despite the fact that the GMC did not see any dramaticincrease in its’ patient load.
Advocate A. L. L. Furtado in his complaint to HealthMinister Laxmikant Parsekar and Dean, Goa Medical College Dr. V N Jindal hasalleged that Scoop Ind Pvt Ltd, in corroboration with various officialsinflated bills. They also submitted fake bills which were duly authenticated byofficials hand in glove with the supplier, the complaint added. Dr. Jindal whowas to be forcibly retired early last year due to differences with former HealthMinister Rane however remains smug about the whole incident and does notsuspect a scam. “The medical superintendent had submitted a report on thecomplaint and we found no irregularities,” says Dr. Jindal.
The current Medical Superintendent, Dr Sunanda Amonkarhowever feigns ignorance of the case. “I know nothing about this case. It hasnot come to my notice,” Dr Amonkar said. Meanwhile, the controversial company’stender has been extended by a year.
Health Minister Parsekar however has been non-committal in initiatinga probe even after the complainant sent a reminder to the government about hiscomplaint filed in 2011. Laxmikant Parsekar, when in opposition had raised theissue of scams and illegalities during the term of former health minister,Vishwajeet Rane, several times.
Furtado who had urged Parsekar to float a fresh tender haspromised to expose the scam and vested interests involved.
