Karnataka AAP seeks Ayukta probe

BENGALURU: The Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) has filed a complaint with Upalokayukta Justice N Ananda seeking an investigation into the awarding of contract to set up a private medical lab, to Matrix Imaging Solutions, a company of which CM Siddaramaiah’s second son Dr Yathindra was a Director.

The AAP members submitted the complaint to Justice Ananda claiming that prima facie, there were violations under Prevention of Corruption Act. “There was  conflict of interest and abuse of office besides an improper tendering process, and cartelizationin awarding the contract to Matrix.

The entire tendering process was a sham. The Special Officer, PMSSY Hospital, has confirmed that Matrix was the only bidder. While six companies participated in the pre-bidding meeting, only HLL Healthcare Ltd and Matrix came forward to participate in the bid.

Under such circumstances, the tendering process should have been scrapped and re-tendered. Furthermore, it is learnt that Matrix is already in a business relationship with HLL Healthcare Ltd where the latter outsourced a contract to operate a similar lab in ESI Hospital, Rajajinagar for the past one and a half years,” the complaint stated.

The party has also written a letter to the CM urging him to pursue the corruption cases against former Chief Minister B. S. Yeddyurappa in the Supreme Court.

“It is shocking that though the Karnataka High Court has quashed cases against Mr Yeddyurappa, the Siddaramaiah govt has not filed any appeal in the Supreme Court. The FIRs had been registered by the Lokayukta police based on a report of the Comptroller and Auditor General (CAG) relating to denotification of lands acquired by BDA in Bilekahalli, Halagavaderahalli, J B Kaval and other places in Bengaluru city when Yeddyurappa was the chief minister. The cases were quashed on only points of legal technicality,” a press release by the party stated.