Hope There'll be No Cover-up in Alleged Irregularities in Purchase of Covid Care Material: Bengal Guv

West Bengal Governor Jagdeep Dhankhar on Thursday expressed hope that a three-member panel formed by the Mamata Banerjee government to look into alleged irregularities in purchase of Covid care material will name the beneficiaries and that there will be no cover-up.

Dhankhar claimed that he had "flagged earliest irregularities in purchases" meant to upgrade the state'shealth infrastructure amid the pandemic. "Indicated-scam was in making as usual 'HOT FAVORITE MAN FRIDAY' was beneficiary," he said in a message posted in a social media platform.

He said that the chief minister has belatedly formed a three-member probe panel comprising additional chief secretary (Home) Alapan Bandopadhyay, additional chief secretary (finance) HK Dwivedi and health secretary NS Nigam. "Hope skeletons r out and NO COVER UP, " Dhankar, who has had a slew of confrontations with the Trinamool Congress government in the state on several issues since he took over as governor a little over a year ago, said.

On receiving complaints from different quarters, the chief minister, who also holds the Health portfolio, formed the three-member panel to probe allegations of irregularities in purchases after the Finance department relaxed norms of tender process amid the Covid-19 pandemic.

The state government has allocated over Rs 2,000 crore for health infrastructure upgradation. A senior state government official said that the panel will submit its findings to chief secretary Rajiva Sinha, adding that strict action will be taken against any person involved, if the allegations are found to be true.

Most of the money allotted for health infrastructure upgradation was spent in purchasing sanitisers, gloves, masks, PPE kits, ventilators, oxygen and other materials required to upgrade infrastructure of the hospitals, safe homes and health centres, the official said.

The West Bengal government had till Tuesday ordered 29.10 lakh PPEs and received 20.48 lakh of them. It has bought 14.90 lakh n95 masks while another 48.80 lakh of regular masks, the health department said. It has also got delivery of 37.35 lakh of gloves and 20,000 thermal guns so far, it said.