Sisodia accuses Himanta Sarma of corruption during pandemic, Assam govt reacts

New Delhi, Jun 04: As India battled the Covid pandemic in 2020, then Assam health minister Himanta Biswa Sarma gave contracts to companies of his wife and son's business partners to supply PPE kits above market rates, AAP leader Manish Sisodia alleged on Saturday citing media reports.

At a press conference, he claimed that while the Assam government procured PPE kits for Rs 600 a piece from other companies, Sarma gave urgent supply orders to the firms of his wife and son's business partners for Rs 990 a piece "taking advantage of the COVID-19 emergency".

The firm belonging to Sarma's wife does not even deal in medical equipment, he alleged. "While the contract given to the firm of Sarma's wife was cancelled as the company could not supply PPE kits, another supply order was given to the firm belonging to the business partners of his son at a rate of Rs 1,680 per kit," Sisodia said citing the media report.

He said two websites had collaborated on the story and published it two days ago.

The AAP leader asked why the members of the BJP were silent on corruption by a chief minister of a state ruled by the saffron party. "They talk of corruption and level baseless allegations against members of opposition parties. I want to probe their understanding of corruption... want to ask them if they consider this (Assam case) corruption or not," Sisodia added.

Assam govt denies involvement of CM's family in supply of Covid PPE kits

The Assam government on Saturday refuted allegations by a section of the media that Chief Minister Himanta Biswa Sarma's family was involved in alleged malpractices in the supply of PPE kits during the pandemic.

Government spokesman Pijush Hazarika said there was no scam in the supply of PPE kits and no member of the chief minister's family were involved in the supply of any material related to the COVID pandemic.

The allegations are ''false, imaginary, malicious and can be attributed as the handiwork of a certain section with vested interests,'' Hazarika, who is also the state's minister for water resources and information and public relations told reporters here.

''Why are the two organisations (who made the claims) not going to the Court if they have evidence instead of making false and baseless allegations ?'' he added.

On June 1 two digital media organisations - New Delhi-based 'The Wire' and Guwahati-based 'The Crosscurrent' in a joint investigative report claimed that the Assam government had placed four COVID-19 related emergency medical supply orders most likely without following proper process.

The opposition Congress, Raijor Dal and Assam Jatiya Parishad (AJP) had separately demanded a high-level probe by CBI, ED or any other central agencies into the alleged irregularities in supply of PPE kits in 2020 by firms linked to Sarma's wife when he was the health minister in the previous BJP government in the state.