GUWAHATI: Even as Assam government is desperately combating the surge of COVID-9 positive cases in the state, allegations has surfaced against one contractor with a title ‘Dhanuka’ for running a ‘syndicate’ in the Health Department at this hour of crisis in alleged connivance with senior health officials.
An NGO called Assam Public Works (APW) which had filed the first petition in the Supreme Court demanding preparation of National Register of Citizens (NRC) in Assam, has written an open letter to the Chief Minister of Assam, Sarbananda Sonowal asking him to take action against the alleged ‘Contractors’ syndicate’ in the Health Department run under the leadership of the said contractor Dhanuka who is allegedly allotted contracts worth crores of Rupees flouting norms for supply of equipment, medicines etc., required for management of COVID-19 pandemic situation in the state.
Citing an example, the APW letter to the CM signed by its president Abhijeet Sharma and General Secretary, Dhrubajyoti Talukdar, informed that at least 295 contractors had submitted bid for a tender of Rs 71 crore floated by state Health Department for supply of six items including PPE kits, triple layer masks etc. The bidder included some prominent ones like Mafatlal, Apollo International. “However, nobody knows who were given the work order and it was never uploaded in the website as per the standing Government of India guidelines,” the letter written in Assamese stated.
The open letter cited many other examples of how the State Health Department had laid down red carpet for a few scam-tainted contractors around this COVID-19 crisis.
Stating that COVID-19 crisis which has caused immense plight for common people, has turned out to be a ‘festival’ for the handful of contractors enjoying ‘patronage’ of the Health Department, the APW asked the CM to act prompt to uproot the syndicate of contractors from the Health Department.
The APW further stated that it would knock at the door of the Prime Minister, if the Chief Minister failed to take action to stop the unholy nexus of contractors and officials of the Health Department.