ACB registers case against security provider companies in Delhi govt hospitals

New Delhi, Jul 22 (PTI) Delhi government's Anti-Corruption Branch has registered a case against the manpower/security provider companies in various Delhi government hospitals, officials said on Monday.
    Joint Commissioner of Police (anti-corruption branch) Madhur Verma said, "Several complaints are being received regarding under-deployment, recruitment of ineligible candidates, bogus claims of ESI and provident funds, demand of bribe by the employers and embezzlement of the government funds."
    The officer further said the government officials are also allegedly involved in criminal conspiracy with the private agencies.
    "Several complaints have been received at the ACB regarding various malpractices and embezzlement of the government funds by private manpower/security provider companies in connivance with the government officials in providing security personnel at different government hospitals in Delhi," said the officer.
    The officer said that during the course of verification, two complainants visited the office of ACB and said they were working as security supervisor in these manpower/security provider companies, which provide security personnel at different hospitals.
    The officer further said that during verification, it was revealed that these private players, allegedly hand-in-gloves with the government officials, are actively involved in various malpractices and violations of the tender conditions as well as the laid down procedures in providing security personnel at different hospitals.
    "After examining certain complaints as well as the complainants diligently, a case has been registered against three security service provider companies and government and private persons involved in the matter. An investigation has been launched to unearth the whole conspiracy," said the officer.
    According to a statement of the Delhi government, Health Minister Saurabh Bharadwaj, since he became the minister, has been writing on most of the files related to outsourcing of manpower that there is blatant corruption in hiring of contractual manpower at hospitals and other places.
    The matter has been discussed dozens of times with the officers of the health department, including the secretary. However, the officers in general are reluctant to take a firm action against this corruption, it claimed.
    Even in the case of contractual data-entry operators, the minister has written on dozens of files about the alleged corruption in hiring contractual manpower. The file was moved to stop this practice of taking manpower through private contractors, and instead hire the manpower through a government PSU like ICSIL, the statement said.
    A few days back, Bharadwaj sent a detailed note to the health secretary and again asked to stop the practice of hiring manpower through private contractors and start hiring manpower through PSUs under state government and central government, it stated.

(This story has not been edited by THE WEEK and is auto-generated from PTI)