Jehangir Rashid
SRINAGAR, Nov 5: The inquiry officer probing the purchase of dental equipment by Principal Government Dental College (GDC), Srinagar, Dr. Riyaz Farooq for the college has established that the equipment were purchased on exorbitant rates for monitory benefits to Principal GDC, Srinagar and officials of the company that supplied the equipment.
In his report to Special Judge Anti-Corruption Kashmir, Aijaz Ahmad Mir, the inquiry officer has written that machine Orthophos X G5 DS Ceph has been procured on exorbitant rates in order to cause undue pecuniary benefits to Dr. Riyaz Farooq, Principal Government Dental College, Srinagar, V. L Narayan Proprietor M/s Villa India, New Delhi and Hamid Bashir of M/s Basha Enterprises, Karan Nagar, Srinagar.
Meanwhile, Special Judge Anti-Corruption Kashmir has directed SSP Vigilance Organization to register formal FIR if in his opinion any ground for the same exists on the basis of the findings arrived at by the inquiry officer under the relevant provisions of law.
The inquiry officer in his report said that he compared the rates of the equipment in the market and found that GDC Principal has paid more for the equipment so that he acquires benefits from the purchase. The rates of the equipment were also presented to the Anti-Corruption Judge by the inquiry officer in a tabular form in his report.
“The report revealed that services of two experts i.e. Head of Department, Oral Medicine and Radiology, Government Dental College, Jammu and Head of Department, Peridontia, Government Dental College, Jammu were obtained and the experts inspected the procured OPG machine and complete vertical rack sterilization system at Government Dental College, Srinagar and also physically compared/checked the specifications of both the dental machinery equipment and complete vertical rack sterilization system manufactured by M/s Sirona Germany and Mocom, Italy respectively,” said Special Judge Anti-Corruption Kashmir in the order issued by him.
In his order, the Judge said that Jammu and Kashmir Bank Tankipora was also approached for providing details of 12 payments made to M/s Villa India, New Delhi by Government Dental College, Srinagar. He said the bank authorities communicated that they are not able to provide full particulars of the account holders to whom the payments have been made.
“V. L Narayan, Proprietor M/s Villa India, New Delhi and Hamid Bashir of M/s Basha Enterprises were informed to attend the organization since they were acquainted with the facts of the matter but they chose to remain absent,” reads the order written by the Judge.
In his order the Judge has written that the report submitted by the State Vigilance Organization (SVO) Kashmir is quite suggestive of the fact that inquiry officer during the course of inquiry has been able to gather the material to this fact that machines i.e. Orthophos X G5 DS Ceph has been procured on exorbitant rates to cause pecuniary benefits to Principal GDC, Srinagar, V. L Narayan and Hamid Bashir.
“If the inquiry officer has been able to gather material to this fact and if in his opinion any offence is disclosed for registration of formal FIR he is at liberty to do so and prior permission of the court is no way required in the matter. However, SSP Vigilance Organization Kashmir is directed to register formal FIR if in his opinion any ground for the same exists on the basis of the findings arrived at by the inquiry officer under the relevant provisions of law and thereafter take up the investigation in accordance with the law,” said the Judge in his order.
The Judge directed that in event the case is registered the SSP shall provide audience to both the parties and get the investigation carried out by an officer not below the rank of DySP posted in the State Vigilance Organization, Kashmir and monitor the investigation thereof.
It may be recalled that GDC authorities purchased medical equipment worth crores of rupees at higher rates than quoted by the company from which they purchased it. Interestingly, the rates quoted for the equipment by this company are very less as compared with the rates actually paid by the GDC authorities both at Srinagar and Jammu.
The revelations about the scandal came to the fore after the Medical Superintendent, (Public Information Officer) GDC responded to the Right to Information (RTI) application moved by Tanveer Hussain Khan.
In his reply the PIO said that GDC, Srinagar purchased digital panoramic X-ray machine model and make of Orthophos XG 5 DS Ceph-Single Sensor (AERB approved) Rs. 46, 80, 000 lakh. The machine was supplied to the GDC, Srinagar by Villa India, New Delhi.
The RTI applicant compared the rates paid by the GDC authorities with the one being offered by the same company. He found a difference of Rs. 26, 00, 000 lakh between the actual purchases made and the rates offered.
The PIO in his reply said that the GDC, Srinagar purchased eight complete vertical rack sterilization systems from Villa India, New Delhi from time to time. The difference between the actual price and the amount paid was around Rs. 50, 00, 000 for eight systems.
After this the Special Judge Anti-Corruption Kashmir, Aijaz Ahmad Mir, directed State Vigilance Organization (SVO) Kashmir to initiate investigations against Dr. Riyaz Farooq, Principal Government Dental College, Srinagar.
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