Nishikant Khajuria
JAMMU, Apr 20: The State Government today handed over the sensational spurious drugs purchase case and involvement of officials in it to Crime Branch and State Vigilance Organisation respectively and charge-sheeted 15-20 members of the Purchase Committee and other officials involved in the process for initiating further action against them as the fact finding committee in the matter submitted its preliminary report to the Health and Medical Education Department.
Minister of State for Health (Independent Charge) Shabir Ahmad Khan told the Excelsior that the case pertaining to purchase of spurious drugs, in which a First Information Report (FIR) has already been registered, has been handed over to the Crime Branch while the case pertaining to involvement of Government officials in the scam would be investigated by the Vigilance Organisation.
He said the fact finding committee has only submitted a preliminary report so far on the basis of which the cases have been handed over to the Crime Branch and the SVO while the officers have been charge-sheeted.
“Fifteen to twenty officers charge-sheeted in the scam belonged to Rate Contract Committee, Store Officer Incharge and Drug Verification Board,’’ Mr Khan said.
Earlier, speaking to reporters, Mr Khan said the fact finding report, which was submitted to the Government yesterday, has established that the supplier firm managed a rate contract in its favour by forging the documents while no involvement of former Health Minister Sham Lal Sharma has so far surfaced in the case.
“As M/s Life Line Pharmaco Surgicals used forged documents to participate in the rate contract on behalf of Medley Pharmaceuticals Ltd, the case is not only of violation of Drugs and Cosmetic Act but also of fraud and hence the matter has been referred to Crime Branch of J&K Police for detailed investigation,” he said.
Further, he added, the officials of Health and Medical Education Department who received the supply without verifying credentials of the manufacturer as per approval and members of the Purchase Committee have been charge sheeted for negligence on their part and suitable action will be taken depending on their role at various levels.
“Besides the Crime Branch, the matter has also been referred to the Vigilance Department for parallel inquiry to ascertain the role of various officials involved in the process,” the Minister informed adding that some arrests may also be made in next few days.
To avoid such frauds in future and bring reforms in the system of procurement, the Minister disclosed that the Department was mulling testing of the drugs before supply. “For the purpose, we are going to seek help of Union Ministry of Health and Private companies besides double shifts in testing of the drugs at State labs,” he explained.
Maintaining that part of the spurious drug was supplied in Jammu hospitals also, Shabir Khan sought to allay the rumours that all such drugs were supplied in Valley only.
Virtually giving a clean chit to former Minister for Health Sham Lal Sharma in the case, Shabir Khan said that the inquiry committee has not named the former in the case.
B B Vyas, Principal Secretary to the Chief Minister and M K Dwivedi, Commissioner Secretary Health and Medical Education accompanied the Minister during the press conference.
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