PPE Scam: Odisha Lokayukta Expresses Displeasure Over Inconclusive Report

Bhubaneswar: The Odisha Lokayukta on Monday expressed displeasure over the inconclusive report of the state government on the purchase of the PPE kits and directed the Chief Secretary to furnish a detailed report during the next hearing on December 7.

As per the directive of the Lokayukta, two senior IAS officers– Industries Secretary Hemant Sharma and Managing Director of the Odisha State Medical Corporation Limited (OSMCL) Yamini Sarangi– appeared for the third time for hearing in connection with the alleged corruption in the purchase of PPE kits and masks by the state government in response to the petitions filed by Sudarshan Das and Sushant Padhi.

“The Lokayukta expressed displeasure over the inconclusive reply of the Industries Secretary as to under what circumstances he was ousted from the post of chairman of the emergency purchase committee. From this, it is clearly evident that the state government is trying to hush up the facts relating to the approval of the committee for the purchase of the PPE kits,” Das told the media.

Another petitioner Sushant Padhi said that Lokayukta on November 5 had asked the Chief Secretary to submit a detailed record of the procurement committee regarding the purchase of the PPE kits. But the latter, instead of submitting the records in person, sent a two-page report through the Industries Secretary. The Lokayukta while expressing displeasure over the inconclusive report, directed the Chief Secretary to submit the detailed records during its next hearing on December 7.

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