Pimpri: The Pimpri-Chinchwad Municipal Corporation administration, which did not take any concrete action regarding the recovery of the amount paid in the Sparsh Hospital scam and the guilty officer concerned, was literally slapped by the Mumbai High Court on Monday (June 13). The court ruled on the affidavit of the municipal administration to re-appoint the committee. The court also asked the NMC administration whether it was necessary to re-appoint the committee.
During the Corona period, no guarantee was made while paying the amount to Sparsh Hospital for the Jumbo Covid Center and the amount was paid very hastily. Earlier in the hearing (April 4), the High Court had directed to submit an affidavit regarding the manner in which the government will recover the amount paid to SPARSH and what action will be taken against the then Additional Commissioner Ajit Baburao Pawar who paid this amount. Accordingly, the Municipal Corporation had submitted an affidavit. The court said the government’s report was clear and unequivocal. According to him, the concerned officer was expected to take action against the touch, but the municipal officer seems to have failed in his duty.
Giving reasons for lack of clarity in the report of the government in the affidavit submitted by NMC, he said that an internal committee of Additional Commissioner, Chief Auditor, Senior Accounts Officer, Officer of Investigation Team is being set up. Disagreeing with this, the court said that there was no need to re-appoint an internal committee as the government had already given a thorough inquiry report into the matter. However, the court has directed the municipal corporation to state its opinion on whether the government’s inquiry report is correct or incorrect.
What exactly is a touch scam, how?
Pimpri-Chinchwad Municipal Corporation had ordered Sparsh Hospital to set up Kovid Center at Ramsmriti and Hira Lawns in Bhosari during Corona period. However, without setting up any facility at the place and without treating any patient at that place, Sparsh Hospital had submitted a bill to the corporation with the intention of cheating the corporation. The then Additional Commissioner Ajit Baburao Pawar had hastily paid a bill of Rs 3 crore 14 lakh to Sparsh Hospital without getting the approval of the Standing Committee. Corona was found to have misappropriated municipal funds by taking advantage of the accompaniment.
Social activist Sunil Kamble had filed a PIL in the High Court in this regard. The petition was heard before a bench of High Court Chief Justice RD Dhanuka and Justice Makrand Subhash Karnik on Monday. On behalf of Sunil Kamble, Adv. Vishwanath Patil and Adv. Only Ahya moved the side. The wife of Vinod Adaskar, the director of Sparsh Hospital, Dr. As Anjali Dhone-Adaskar is working in the medical department of Pimpri-Chinchwad Municipal Corporation, considering the legal issues, the work of Kovid Center cannot be given to Sparsh Hospital. But this work has been given by computer. While the Municipal Corporation has filed a writ petition in the court on behalf of other officers, the respondent No. 8 Dr. Anjali Dhone-Adaskar is an employee of the Municipal Corporation, but her lawyer’s letter was not submitted, which raises suspicions. The affidavit submitted to the court on behalf of Sparsh states that they have not treated a single patient for a single day, so there is no question of paying them a municipal amount.
Did Sparsh Hospital not work a single day?
The important thing is that the amount has been paid to Sparsh by a decision of a meeting held on January 6, 2021. In this meeting, it has been decided to pay 65% of the remaining days to the organizations which have worked for a few days. Although this decision does not apply to them as they have not worked for a single day, the entire day has been paid to Sparsh for abusing this decision. As this whole incident was committed in a criminal manner, the court should consider taking further action against the culprits as per the provisions of the Criminal Code. Vishwanath Patil presented before the court.
Order to submit affidavit by Municipal Corporation
Proponents of her case have been working to make the actual transcript of this statement available online. Proponents of her case have been working to make the actual transcript of this statement available online. During the hearing, the inquiry report submitted by the Divisional Commissioner was read out before the court. The report states that there was no information regarding the treatment of patients at the Covid Center set up by Sparsh Hospital and that the bill was paid without any treatment at this place. It is said that the amount was paid hastily without any assurance. The court had directed the corporation to submit an affidavit on the manner in which it would recover the amount and what action would be taken against the officer who hastily paid the amount.
