Equipment Procurement Scam: CBI books AIIMS Rishikesh Professor, 2 private firms

Rishikesh: The Central Bureau of Investigation registered a case against a senior official of the All India Institute of Medical Sciences (AIIMS) in Rishikesh and two private firms in connection with an alleged scam in the procurement of vessel sealing equipment.

On March 31, a team of the CBI conducted a surprise check on the allegations of serious irregularities having been committed by various officers of AIIMS, Rishikesh, in the procurement of Advanced Vessel Sealing equipment during the years 2019 and 2020 at a highly exorbitant price, causing wrongful loss to AIIMS, Rishikesh, and corresponding wrongful gain to the firm that was never part of the bidding process.   

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A total of seven Advanced Vessel Sealing Equipments were procured at a highly exorbitant price of Rs 54,82,852.79 per Unit from M/s Riya Agencies, Jodhpur, against the price of Rs 19,92,480 at which AIIMS, Rishikesh, had purchased the same Equipment from M/s India Medtronic Pvt. Ltd., Gurugram, in 2018. Dr. Balram Ji Omar, being the Procurement officer, was well aware of this fact.

While resorting to the aforesaid procurement, various tender conditions were openly flouted by the Procurement Officer, Dr Balram Ji Omar, and other members of the Tender Committee in order to show undue favour to M/s Arogya International and M/s Riya Agencies. 

The cost of the equipment in question and the accessories supplied earlier by Arogya International to AIIMS, New Delhi, and other Hospitals was deliberately masked by it. This vital fact was deliberately ignored by the Procurement officer, Dr Balram Ji Omar, and other members of the Tender Evaluation Committee.

The tender in question was for the supply of seven advanced vessel sealing equipment only; however, Dr Balram Ji Omar, Procurement Officer, in collusion with M/s Riya Agencies, without floating a fresh tender and without assessing the actual requirement of these equipment, placed further Purchase Orders in 2019 and 2020 for the purchase of five more equipment from Riya Agencies at the same exorbitant price at which the seven Equipments had earlier been purchased.

During the Joint Surprise Check, it was revealed that one of the pieces of equipment costing nearly Rs. 54.80 lakh was still lying in packed condition with accessories at AIIMS, Rishikesh, even after a lapse of three years since purchase. This shows that procurement was made with the sole object of causing wrongful gain to Arogya International, New Delhi, Riya Agencies, Jodhpur, and corresponding wrongful loss to AIIMS, Rishikesh.

The procurement has caused wrongful loss to AIIMS, Rishikesh, to the tune of more than Rs. 6.57 crore and corresponding undue advantage to themselves, said the CBI.