Fernandes offers to disclose names in World Bank projects scam

New Delhi, Sep 7 (UNI) Former Defence Minister and NDA Convenor George Fernandes today urged Prime Minister Manmohan Singh to ''dismiss'' those who allegedly received kickbacks in World Bank-funded health projects in the country, ''offering'' to disclose their names.

Referring to media reports claiming that the World Bank's internal anti-corruption unit had unearthed a scam involving ''ministers and officials'' of the Union Health Ministry, Mr Fernandes, in a letter to the Prime Minister, wrote: ''We know their names and their background. If you have any problem in identifying them I am ready to help you in the exercise.'' He also demanded to hand over the matter to the CBI, before the Bank comes out with its report.

Mr Fernandes said it was a ''shame'' that the government was sitting on the Bank's report on corruption in health projects in India, ''which had resulted in withholding of medicines at many levels in the project intended to reduce maternal and infant mortality''.

The report, prepared in late 2005, found projects worth two billion dollars were beset with corruption. It was significant because the Bank was expected to submit a detailed review in a fortnight. It speaks of corruption of great magnitude leading the bank to suspend health care loans worth one billion dollars.

''Certificates were falsified, controls evaded and it was a racket of great dimensions,'' Mr Fernandes said.

UNI