Two engineers, namely Mehul Dave and N V Kalia, were suspended after a surprise inspection by Gujarat Health Minister Praful Pansaria exposed corruption of more than ₹50 lakhs.
According to reports, an underground water tank was approved for construction at a government hospital in Bhavnagar. Although the work is not complete, a bill of ₹50.43 lakhs was submitted to the Head Office of the Health Department for approval.
On learning about the matter during a surprise inspection 2 weeks ago, Praful Pansaria found that a 2.55-lakh-litre tank was missing. He ordered an inquiry into the matter. This revealed that a fraud was underway.
The Health Minister ordered strict action against the 2 engineers and the contractor. As such, Mehul Dave and N V Kalia were suspended for negligence and dereliction of duty. A police complaint was also filed in this matter.
At the same time, the Gujarat Health Department has directed strict action against the contractor of the project, Dharmanandan Construction. Officials have been asked to blacklist the company.
In the meantime, Praful Pansaria has assured that no irregularities or mismanagement of public funds will be tolerated. He highlighted the importance of transparency and accountability in government health projects.
He also directed officials to improve monitoring of work on site, which has been approved for government hospitals.
