The AAP government has transferred as many as 20 employees, including additional secretary Sanjay Aggarwal, from the 9th floor health department office at Players Building to their parent cadres. The transfers reportedly are linked to the recent CBI raid on principal secretary (services) Rajendra Kumar’s office in which the investigating agency had also questioned the senior bureaucrat in connection with some contract of the health department.
In his order, special secretary (administration) Akash Mohapatra said: “Following staff working in this department are hereby relieved w.e.f 18-12-2015 with the directions to report for duty at their respective department/ hospitals under health & family welfare department, GNTD. All concerned HoDs/ MSs/ director of hospital/ medical institutions under H &FW Deptt. are requested to post suitable substitutes immediately in place of them to this department.”
The recent transfers are being linked by the government employees at the Delhi Secretariat with the CBI investigation against Mr Kumar in connection to some contract awarded by the health department in violation of the rules.
During the questioning of Mr Kumar, a highly-placed source said, the CBI had reportedly asked him whether Ramesh Chugh, state programme officer of the Delhi State Health Mission, vide his letter dated November 10, 2010 had requested the ICSIL MD to provide manpower for e-project. The agency also asked the officer whether the rates so quoted by Endeavour were communicated by ICSIL to Ramesh Chugh, who in turn communicated to the ICSIL through a letter on December 1, 2010 that the competent authority has approved the rates provided by the ICSIL. In all, an amount of Rs 2,43,81,594 had been paid by the ICSIL to Endeavour. At that time, Mr Kumar was the health secretary and A.K. Duggal was the MD of the ICSIL.
The senior IAS officer is said to have told the agency that the Delhi State Health Mission does not recognise Endeavour. He told the agency: “It only recognises ICSIL. Any rate communicated by ICSIL would naturally and normally be agreed upon by the Delhi State Health Mission unless it has in-house expertise in this matter. Again, there is no question of influence as ICSIL does not come under Delhi State Health Mission directly or indirectly. The amount is a matter of record.”
