STATE TIMES NEWS
JAMMU: Balvinder Singh, renowned RTI activist, while addressing a press conference said that to remove existing malpractices in system due to buyer-seller interaction and to increase transparency and efficiency (time & cost) of procurement, Government of India brought Government e- market system, on 8th December 2017 and made it mandatory for every govt. department to buy and hire services through GeM only. Singh claimed that because of number of shortcoming in the GeM system as on date, approximately 20 per cent to 50 per cent commission is being involved in transaction made through GeM and as official data, there is annual turnover of Rs 2,200 crore in J&K.
Singh further said that one of his RTI filed in the Directorate of Health Jammu revealed how the person made incharge of GeM made procurements deceiving the state exchequer amounting to crores annually by purchasing items 30 per cent to 300 per cent higher than prevalent market rates.
Singh got quotation of rates on March 12, 2022 for purchase of an Ultrasound Machine BPL Model E-Cube 5 @ Rs 9,91,200, with three years warranty. DHS purchased 6 such machines @ Rs 13,18,000, total coasting Rs 79,06,000 vide Contract no. 511687710463117 dated September 7, 2020 (30 per cent higher than existing market rate) one and half year ago thus deceived the state exchequer amounting to Rs 18 lakh. “DHS purchased eight Radicon-Binocular Polarizing Microscope @ Rs 58,300 including taxes on 23rd Dec 2020 vide Contract No.511687769910866 Dated: 23.02.2022, amounting to Rs. 4,66,400 (53per cent higher from the market rate) whereas Activist got Quotation for the same Microscope on March 11, 2022 @ Rs 37816 only, including taxes, and DHS again deceived the State exchequer to the tune of Rs 1,63,872,” he added.
Again DHS purchased compatible cartridges of different make and mark at more than 100 per cent to 500 per cent higher rates from existing market rates. “RTI reply revealed that DHS purchased Compatible Cartridge of HP 88A @ Rs 4800 which is available in market @ Rs 630. Pen Drives, any make Sandisk/Micron/Toshiba, which are easily available in the market 32 GB @ Rs 400 & 16 GB @ Rs 360, have been purchased by DHS @ Rs 1050 for 16 GB Pen Drive (higher than cost of 32 GB), vide Contract No.GEMC-511687721769549 dated January 6, 2022, & 32 GB @ Rs 850. It is worth mentioning here that Person Incharge GeM purchase in DHS has purchased only from five to six selected vendors during the last so many years,” he revealed, adding, “Similar is the case with Rural Development Department, wherein a very interesting revelation is made in the reply received from two BDO offices namely BDO Mandal PHallian & BDO Akhnoor. Lime powder purchased by BDO Phallain Mandal through GeM is 70 per cent higher than the Rate on which BDO Akhnoor purchased direct from shop whereas both of them purchased lime powder on more than 50 to 70 per cent higher prices than prevailing market rates,” he added. Balvinder Singh said that it is just a tip of the iceberg as if said system is prevalent in other States of the country, then the scam amount can go upto thousands of crores annually. He further demanded CBI-probe into the whole purchases made through GeM by every Govt Department during the last five years.