Agartala BJP MLA Sudip Roy Barman has alleged that there has been an irregularity in purchasing sanitizers and COVID-19 testing kit in Tripura.
In a letter to Chief Minister Biplab Deb, Barman has alleged that there has been an irregularity to the tune of Rs 34 lakhs in purchasing hand sanitizers and COVID-19 testing kit
He urged the CM to investigate the matter thoroughly.
In his letter to CM, Barman mentioned that as per the Centre’s guidelines, hand sanitizers should not cost more than Rs 100 for a bottle of 200 ml.
He further said that the prices of other quantities of hand sanitizers should be fixed in the proportion of these prices.
“As such, the maximum retail price of a 500 ml hand sanitizer should be Rs 250,” he further wrote.
“However, the NHM mission director on April 9, almost after 20 days of the central notification, had permitted one Mayank Technocracy to sale 500 ml hand sanitizer for Rs 320 with an additional GST of 12 per cent, making the price to be Rs 359.”
“Hence, customers are forced to pay an additional amount of Rs 109 for one 500 ml bottle of hand sanitizer,” Barman further wrote.
In his letter, Roy Barman also stated that in the same order, the NHM mission director ordered for the supply of N-COV Real-time Detection Kit used for detecting COVID-19.
One kit per test was priced at Rs 2600 with and additional GST of 12 per cent, making the total cost for one test Rs 2912.
Barman said that NHM on April 6 had procured similar Kits from My lab Discovery Solutions Pvt Ltd, Pune, at a cost of Rs 1150 per kit.
“It is beyond my understanding as to how the price of testing kit rose from Rs 1150 to Rs 2912 within just three days?” Barman asked.
“Total difference in the purchase of 1920 kits hence stands at Rs 33,83,040,” he added in the letter.