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Former Nizam's Institute of Medical Sciences director booked

ACB raids two other officials after charges of irregularities from 2011 to 2013
Hyderabad: The Anti Corruption Bureau has registered a criminal misconduct case against former Nims director Dr Dharma Rakshak, former additional medical superintendent Dr Mukunda Reddy and financial controller V. Sridhar.
On Thursday ACB conducted simultaneous raids at the residences of former NIMS director Dr Dharma Rakshak, additional medical superintendent Dr Mukunda Reddy, financial controller V. Sridhar and the offices of Global Life Services following allegations of irregularities in the period 2011 to 2013.
However, Dr Dharma Rakshak denied the allegations and said that pressure from the Congress government to inaugurate led to a rushing of the purchase process.
Dr Rakshak said that he worked as a doctor for 27 years, had never engaged in corruption and had nothing to fear about the allegations.
He said the director alone cannot make any purchase. Many committees are involved in the process of purchasing equipment for the hospital.
“I gave all documents to ACB. They can check if I committed irregularities. Due to pressure from the Congress government to inaugurate the new block we wrapped up the process in two months which usually takes a year,” said Dr Rakshak.
ACB said Dr Dharma Rakshak, Dr Mukunda Reddy and financial controller V. Sridhar along with supplier Global Life Services committed irregularities in inviting tenders and purchasing operation theatre tables, operation theatre lights and ventilators at very high rates compared to market prices.
“During the inquiry we found the trio caused a loss of '30.3 crore to the government through irregularities in inviting tenders and purchase,” said a senior ACB official.
A case of criminal misconduct under the Prevention of Corruption Act was registered against Dr A. Dharma Rakshak, retired Nims additional medical superintendent Dr D. Mukunda Reddy and Nims financial controller V. Sridhar.
During the raids ACB officials seized documents from the residences located at Banjara Hills, Ashoknagar and Jubilee Hills and the offices of Global Life Services at Punjagutta and Himayathnagar.
Health secy pointed out corruption
The ACB had been taking files regarding former director Dr A. Dharma Rakshak from the Nims since a year. Nims doctors said that six operation tables which cost '5 lakh were bought for a whopping Rs 35 lakh.
A senior doctor said, “The purchase of equipment was done without following procedures. The committees were set up but they didn’t function in the manner in which they should.”
There were also allegations that 100 ventilators were purchased when only 10 were required. There are only a few ventilators in the main building but they are not being used. A
bout 500 infusion pumps were purchased but most of them are not being used. Financial controller V. Sirdhar was suspended in 2014. He was suspended as audits were not done properly and the executive committee said there were irregularities.
Government sources said that the report by former health secretary Sawhney had found irregularities in purchases.

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( Source : deccan chronicle )
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