Kolkata: The Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI), investigating the multi-crore financial irregularities in state-run R.G. Kar Medical College & Hospital in Kolkata, has got definite clues about the private entity, allegedly involved in the case, having been able to get similar contracts from other state-run medical colleges & hospitals.
Biplab Sinha, the owner of the agency Maa Tara Traders, is known to be a close confidant of R.G. Kar’s controversial and former Principal Sandip Ghosh, who is in judicial custody after he was arrested by the CBI for his alleged involvement in the financial irregularities case.
Sources aware of the development said that the Sinha-owned entity reportedly supplied medical equipment to four other state-run medical colleges & hospitals apart from R.G. Kar – the Calcutta Medical College & Hospital, the Howrah District Hospital in adjacent Howrah district, the Bangur Institute of Neurosciences, and the S.S.K.M. Medical College & Hospital.
Sources said that the central agency has already updated a special court in Kolkata about such fresh findings and is currently investigating the secrets of getting such contracts awarded to Maa Tara Traders by the authorities of these state-run medical entities.
In the case of R.G. Kar, one of the main charges against Ghosh was that had illegally awarded contracts for sophisticated and technical projects in the hospital to Sinha- owned entity despite the latter not having the requisite expertise or past experience of implementing similar projects.
One such example, said sources aware of the development, was related to the setting up of a skill laboratory for medical students at R.G. Kar, the contract for which was awarded to Maa Tara Traders. Secondly, sources said, the bid price at which the contract was awarded to Maa Tara traders for implementing the said projects was doubtfully high. While the contract was awarded to Sinha’s agency at a bid price of little over Rs 2.97 crore, there was an example at the same point of time of a similar skill laboratory being set up at another medical college and hospital at a price of just around Rs 70 lakh.
(IANS)
