Day after relief for AAP’s Satyendar Jain in PWD hiring case, Delhi govt claims Rs 650-cr fraud in LNJP project
AAP in its response said, “The BJP and its ministers are obsessed with the ACB, CBI, and ED"
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Former Delhi minister Satyendar Jain (File)A day after a CBI closure report in a corruption case came as a relief to former Delhi minister Satyendar Jain, the BJP government on Tuesday levelled fresh allegations of irregularities in the construction of a new block at the LNJP Hospital under the previous Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) government.
Public Works Department (PWD) Minister Parvesh Sahib Singh said the government has sent a file to Lt Governor V.K. Saxena for a probe into the matter. The AAP, however, rejected the claims and slammed the ruling BJP over “frivolous and baseless cases” in a statement.
Speaking to the reporters, the PWD Minister claimed that the project’s budget was inflated by Rs 650 crore during Jain’s tenure as the PWD and health minister.
“There is a difference between the budget sanctioned for the construction of a new block at LNJP Hospital earlier and today. The amount has increased by Rs 650 crore. Jain suggested changes during reviews to benefit the contractors, which led to cost escalation. There was a scam of Rs 650 crore. We have sent a file to the L-G on this matter. He will forward it to either ACB Or CBI for inquiry in the matter,” Singh said.
According to officials, a committee was constituted to examine the procedural lapses, which found that the original contract amount was Rs 465 crore, which escalated to Rs 1,139 crore, almost 243% higher.
The committee highlighted irregularities and violations in consultancy work under Jain.
It also alleged the “selection of the favoured architect consultant was done through a questionable process that was marred with irregularities and in gross violation of provisions of GFR”.
According to documents, the consultancy work was awarded for an area of 84,420 sqm with a value of Rs 5.27 crore to a contractor on nomination basis without calling for any tender as per the decision of the then Health Minister.
It also stated that even as six consultants were empanelled, it was specifically noted that financial bids were called separately for each project.
“However this condition was flouted and then arbitrary decision was taken to appoint consultants district wise or region wise, stating that a single consultant with deal with all projects there in… Bids were invited for consultancy work pertaining to district central for an area of 90,000 square metres with the value of Rs. 5.62 crore,” reads the document.
Meanwhile, AAP in its response said, “The BJP and its ministers are obsessed with the ACB, CBI, and ED. Every day, they hatch conspiracies against AAP leaders, waste time drafting baseless and frivolous cases, and squander taxpayers’ money on directionless investigations.”
On the PWD hiring case, it added, “Just a day ago, the court taught them a lesson by closing one of the CBI cases against Satyendar Jain. The court clearly stated that the CBI had registered a baseless case with no corruption, no criminality, and no evidence. Yet, the minister’s home was raided, and he was harassed for eight years.”
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