Chandigarh March 15:
The BJP, an ally of ruling Shiromani Akali Dal (SAD) on Monday faced an embarrassment in the Punjab Assembly after its minister was cornered by party colleague and former Chief Parliamentary Secretary (CPS) on alleged corruption in purchase of certain medical equipment.
BJP MLA and former CPS Jagdish Raj Sawhney insisted on a clear response from Health Minister Laxmi Kanta Chawla to a question put by him to her during the Question Hour. Sawhney had last year resigned as CPS levelling serious corruption charges against Chawla, the accusations denied by her.
Sawhney, in the Assembly, sought to know from Chawla the total number of dialysis and ultrasound machines purchased by the Health Department during the term of the present Akali-BJP combine government along with the names of hospitals where these machines were installed and the amount spent on them. Chawla told the House that the department had purchased 19 dialysis units and no ultrasound machine was purchased by the present government.
"It is almost one year since these machines have been purchased...these are yet to be installed...even the warranty period of the machines might be over by now," Sawhney said. Speaker Nirmal Singh Kahlon intervened and told the minister that once the machine was purchased its warranty period starts. Sawhney said "who is honest it must be clear in the House...the machines purchased were more than the fixed price." Congress MLA Lal Singh said a ruling party member had levelled serious corruption charges and the Chief Minister should order a probe into it. The leader of the House Parkash Singh Badal said: "what reply can I make on this"?
The BJP, an ally of ruling Shiromani Akali Dal (SAD) on Monday faced an embarrassment in the Punjab Assembly after its minister was cornered by party colleague and former Chief Parliamentary Secretary (CPS) on alleged corruption in purchase of certain medical equipment.
BJP MLA and former CPS Jagdish Raj Sawhney insisted on a clear response from Health Minister Laxmi Kanta Chawla to a question put by him to her during the Question Hour. Sawhney had last year resigned as CPS levelling serious corruption charges against Chawla, the accusations denied by her.
Sawhney, in the Assembly, sought to know from Chawla the total number of dialysis and ultrasound machines purchased by the Health Department during the term of the present Akali-BJP combine government along with the names of hospitals where these machines were installed and the amount spent on them. Chawla told the House that the department had purchased 19 dialysis units and no ultrasound machine was purchased by the present government.
"It is almost one year since these machines have been purchased...these are yet to be installed...even the warranty period of the machines might be over by now," Sawhney said. Speaker Nirmal Singh Kahlon intervened and told the minister that once the machine was purchased its warranty period starts. Sawhney said "who is honest it must be clear in the House...the machines purchased were more than the fixed price." Congress MLA Lal Singh said a ruling party member had levelled serious corruption charges and the Chief Minister should order a probe into it. The leader of the House Parkash Singh Badal said: "what reply can I make on this"?
