Mega scam in medical SOS service
Sanjeev Shivedekar & Malathy Iyer | TNN Mumbai: Barely a month after the state cabinet gave the green signal to appoint a Satyam Computers-led firm as the main emergency medical service provider for its rural areas, the multicrore project has hit a road-block. The Supreme Court on Monday issued notices to Maharashtra, along with nine other states, to respond to charges levelled by the PIL claiming that the 108 ambulance service (provided by Satyams-promoted Emergency Medical Research Institute (EMRI)) smacked of a gigantic scam to the tune of Rs 5,600 crore. * Lack of ambulance tender raises eyebrows * Mumbai: The Supreme Court has taken note of a petition alleging a gigantic scam in the emergency ambulance service. Maharashtra is still to sign a memorandum of understanding with EMRI, but nine states and Union health minister Anbumani Ramadoss have already done so. The Centre's MoU is reportedly worth Rs 3,000 crore for the provision of ambulances across state highways and the use of 108 software which combines responses to the fire department, police and ambulance service. The fact that the MoUs between EMRI and the states and the Centre were signed without calling for a tendering process has reportedly raised eyebrows. India has half-a-dozen ambulance providers who have currently filed tenders in states such as Delhi and Bihar. On Monday, an SC bench comprising CJI K G Balakrishnan and Justice P Sathasivam entertained the petition filed through advocate Siddharth Chowdhury, issued notices to the health ministry and Andhra, Gujarat, Madhya Pradesh, Tamil Nadu, Rajasthan, Uttarakhand, Goa, Assam, Haryana, Punjab, Karnataka and Maharashtra, asking them to respond to the charges levelled by the PIL. Maharashtra had in October decided to sign on EMRI as the emergency service provider in rural Maharashtra, at a cost of Rs 310 crore over the next three years. On Monday, Maharashtra health minister Vimal Mundada said, "I have not received the SC orders, so it will not be appropriate to comment on the issue. After receiving the order copy, the state government, in consultation with concerned officials, will file its reply in the apex court.'' However, a senior health department official said that the 108 software is only with Satyam Computers. "Since no other company has that software, where does the question of inviting tenders come in?'' The PIL filed by two NGOs—Ambulance Access Foundation India (AAFI) and Transparency in Contracts (TIC)—claimed that EMRI had signed an MoU with 10 states to provide ambulance and emergency services without any call of tender. Arguing for the PIL petitioners, senior advocate Rajeev Dhawan said, "EMRI is set to withdraw an estimated Rs 3,800 crore from public funds and get control and possession of 500 acres of prime government land in state capitals and leading cities valued at Rs 1,800 crore.'' He added, "The misuse of public money and siphoning off of prime government land is made possible due to lack of transparency in the process and is possibly one of the biggest scams in post-independent India as the process of award of contracts to operate ambulances and emergency response services has been effected without following the due process for award of contracts.'' --~--~---------~--~----~------------~-------~--~----~ You received this message because you are subscribed to the Google Groups ""GLOBAL SPECULATORS"" group. To post to this group, send email to [email protected] To unsubscribe from this group, send email to [EMAIL PROTECTED] For more options, visit this group at http://groups.google.com/group/globalspeculators?hl=en -~----------~----~----~----~------~----~------~--~---
