Covid-19: Tripura lawmaker requests CM to blacklist companies selling substandard PPE kits
Tripura BJP MLA and former health minister Sudip Roy Barman requested Chief Minister Biplab Kumar Deb to blacklist the companies or traders who allegedly provide 'substandard' Personal Protection Equipment (PPE) kits to the state government.
Almost two weeks ago, Roy Barman wrote to the chief minister about alleged embezzlement of government funds estimated to be around Rs 39.28 lakh to procure kits to prevent spreading of coronavirus.
The state received about 9,000 PPE kits of different categories. Of these, only 914 PPE kits supplied by HIL were found to be appropriate while the rest were found to be permeable to liquid, as alleged by Roy Barman.
He also alleged that the goggles procured by the state was not so much protective for eyes and a 500 ml hand sanitiser bottles 'VENTIZ CLEAR ALL' were found to have only 57.68 per cent alcohol, that is much less than the required.
"....these substandard PPE kits & component articles of PPEs, the frontline soldiers are bound to be vulnerable to the Virus & requested him to purchase kits conforming to the standards laid by Ministry of Health and Family Welfare. I would also request you to blacklist those companies/ traders who have provided such substandard materials," his letter read.
He also alleged of improper disbursement of the funds allocated by the state government for the Tripura people stranded in other parts of the country.
" ....there are a huge number of stranded persons in actual who have not received single farthing assistance to date in spite of fulfilling all formalities. It is a matter of concern that it is not clear as to what mechanism has been adopted by the State Government to ascertain the genuineness of the claims made & reimbursement made to that effect," said Roy Barman in the letter.
The state government on May 5 launched a WhatsApp number where the people could lodge their complaints regarding any corruption.
(Inputs and image from hindustantimes.com)
