BJP alleges Rs54-crore scam at Yashwantrao Chavan Memorial Hospital

The city unit of the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) has alleged that a scam of Rs54 crore has occurred in a catheterisation lab or cathlab contract given to a private contractor.

The cathlab has been set up at the Pimpri Chinchwad Municipal Corporation’s (PCMC) Yashwantrao Chavan Memorial Hospital (YCMH) in Pimpri.

Addressing a press conference on Wednesday, vice-president of BJP city unit, Vilas Madigeri, and BJP corporator, Varsha Madigeri, questioned the role of chief medical officer (CMO) of the PCMC, Dr Nagkumar Kunchagi, and said that the BJP has decided to file a writ petition in the Bombay High Court in this regard.

Madigeri alleged that although the lab was meant to be run on a public private partnership (PPP) basis, the civic body purchased equipment worth Rs26.4 crore for the lab.

Besides, there were irregularities in the documentation relating to the PPP deal such as failure to take the subject committee’s approval for the project.

The BJP leaders alleged that the PCMC failed to publicise the tenders in the media and that only two bids were received of which one was rejected on technical grounds.

According to municipal rules, the civic administration has to process at least three tenders for contracts above Rs5 lakh.

According to the PPP agreement, the private party was expected to bear the cost of electricity, water, oxygen, nitrous, telephone and generator. However, the PCMC official had allegedly removed this clause for the benefit of the private party.

Thus, the civic body had to bear an additional burden of Rs7.57 crore.

Madigeri alleged that despite of the huge investment of Rs23.71 crore, the PCMC was just getting Rs9 lakh as rent from the private party.

He also alleged that according to the town planning department estimates, the civic body must receive Rs8.20 crore as rent from the cathlab in 20 years. However, under the current scenario, it will earn just Rs4 crore in 20 years.

The municipal corporation was set to lose Rs5 crore on rent, besides Rs41.28 crore from instrument and Rs7.57 crore due to deletion of clause on other expenses, totalling a loss of Rs54.27 crore.

Madigeri has approached the leader of opposition in the state assembly, Ekanath Khadse, with a demand for an immediate inquiry into the matter.

The cathlab was inaugurated by Union agriculture minister, Sharad Pawar, in March 2009. It was established with the objective of providing treatment for all heart related ailments at cheaper rates to the citizens living in and around Pimpri-Chinchwad area.

The cathlab centre has been set up over an area of 20,000 sq ft with modern, sophisticated equipment for treating patients.