Health dept official directed not to probe excess purchase of bleaching powder by KMSCL

Bleaching powder
The intention is to ‘protect’ those who had given orders for excessive storage. Photo: Manorama

Kozhikode: A likely bid to secure Kerala Medical Services Corporation Limited (KMSCL) officials involved in excessive purchase of bleaching powder is on. The Health Department is strangely mum on the procurement violating procurement norms even though a three-level inquiry was declared.

The Principal Secretary of the Health Department has been directed by the higher-ups not to pursue the matter further, claimed sources. The intention is to ‘protect’ those who had given orders for excessive storage.

As reported earlier the KMSCL order to bleaching powder suppliers to take back the stock was also aimed at protecting the officers who were behind the deal.

A Rs 1 crore clandestine deal likely took place in the procurement of bleaching powder. The Corporation decided to buy over 13 lakh kg of bleaching powder at Rs 47.08 per kg even without inviting quotations after rejecting an offer by a company based in Kerala to supply the product at Rs 38 per kg. As a result, Rs 6.12 crore had to be spent for the product which would have been available at Rs 4.94 crore. Moreover, an order for another 5.40 lakh kg of bleaching powder was given to an Uttar Pradesh-based company without complying with the norms when there was a stock of 6 lakh kg.

It is also suspected that the bleaching powder was purchased without quality checks. The Drugs Control section has also filed a preliminary report on the quality of the product.

Health Minister Veena George had said that Health Principal Secretary A P M Mohammed Haneesh will coordinate the probe.

Probe into mysterious warehouse fire
As graft allegations were aired fire hazards were reported from a few KMSCL warehouses. It is suspected the fire was deliberately lit by vested interests to destroy evidence. The Electrical Inspectorate, Fire Safety Department, and Forensic Department are holding investigations into these incidents.

This probe is, however, limited to the technical aspects of the fire incident. Considering that the godown which has no electrical connection was also affected by the fire, the inspection of the Electrical Inspectorate becomes irrelevant.

It was also alleged more orders for bleaching powder were placed even as there was hardly any space for further stock in the warehouse.

Funds blocked
The bleaching powder manufacturers are not amused with the KMSCL order to take back the stock, claimed sources.

Parkins Enterprises has completely taken back the ‘Kaveri’ brand bleaching powder that they had distributed. However, Banke Bihari Chemicals, a Lucknow-based firm, has not responded so far. Loads of their bleaching powder have been moved from the warehouse and hidden elsewhere. The disbursal of the amount due to this company, Rs 1.36 crore, has been blocked through the intervention of the KMSCL Managing Director. The company may move the court for payment.

The company’s stand is that they are not responsible to take the bleaching powder back as they have distributed the bleaching powder in the quantity and quality stipulated by the KMSCL. The company authorities might also point to the Drugs Controller’s preliminary report which is also favourable to it. 

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