Lucknow: Days after Aam Aadmi Party’s expose of scam in purchase of PPE kits and thermal scanners in Uttar Pradesh, the Yogi Adityanath government has set-up an SIT to investigate the matter.
The SIT headed by the senior IAS officer Renuka Kumar has been asked to submit the probe report within 10 days.
The probe will cover “many districts” including Sultanpur, the government said.
Accusing the UP government of “corona scam”, Sanjay Singh, AAP spokesperson and Rajya Sabha member, had last week alleged, “There have been massive irregularities in purchase of essentials during the pandemic. The corona kit which includes an oximeter and thermal scanner and costs Rs 2,600. It was purchased for Rs 9,500 in Sultanpur. Sanitiser was also purchased at an exorbitant rate. It seems the Yogi government believes in “Aapda me Bhrashtachar.”
Several opposition leaders and even ruling party leaders had pressed charges of corruption in purchase of corona kits, sanitisers and masks etc over the last six months.
Some have demanded their MLA and MP funds back which they had donated for such purchase in March.
However, Sanjay Singh took the matter strongly by purchasing these items himself and showed the bills for comparison.
The Yogi govt on Thursday slashed the cost of Covid-19 RT-PCR test in private labs from Rs 2,500 to Rs 1,600. The reduction in cost has been done on the grounds that kit and reagent costs have declined now. “If any private laboratory charges over and above Rs 1,600, they will be penalised”, the order says.
