CM demands CBI probe into blood kit scam

Kolkata, Nov 23: West Bengal Chief Minister Buddhadeb Bhattacharjee today demanded a CBI inquiry into the blood kit scam, which rocked the state recently.

To a query of SUCI's Debaprasad Sarkar during the question hour, Mr Bhattacharjee said the CBI probe became necessary as it had assumed an alarming proportion.

As soon as the scam was detected, the state Health department had swung into action, immediately withdrawing all the remaining 65,000 odd kits from the state's 79 blood banks and thereafter banned the organisation, he asserted.

To a supplementary query of Congress Legislature party leader Manas Bhunia regarding the alleged involvement of several senior health officials, the Chief Minister categorically stated that if anybody was found involved in the alleged scam in any manner, a stern administrative action would be taken.

He, however, did not eleborate what nature of action would be initiated against the alleged guilty officials.

Mr Bhattacharjee said since the impact of the scam was not limited to the ambit of West Bengal and already spread its tentacles outside the state, there was an absolute necessity to conduct a CBI inquiry of the entire episode.

He said the state government had already moved in that direction.

UNI