The Chhattisgarh High Court disposed of a Public Interest Litigation (PIL) filed highlighting the issue of rampant irregularities being committed by the respondent No.3 (Private Respondent) in the implementation and running of Rural Mobile Medical Unit (RMMU) started by the State Government in the year 2018, which aim is to provide basic health services with qualified MBBS Doctors and paramedical staff to the remote areas/districts of State of Chhattisgarh predominantly populated by the tribal.
The State authorities in order to provide health service, came out with policy/scheme to engage services of agencies having expertise and experience of organizing delivery of primary health case services with qualified MBBS Doctors and paramedical staff through the Mobile Medical Units and in pursuance to the aforesaid, respondent No.2 (Director, Directorate Of Health Services, District- Raipur (Chhattisgarh)), invited bids from eligible bidders and the respondent No.3 , after having been found eligible and qualified the terms and conditions, declared as successful bidder and has been awarded the aforesaid Contract, but the respondent No.3 committing grave irregularities obtained lacs of rupees in payment on the basis of fake/bogus running hours/days and is involved in creating fraudulently monthly application and GPS report so as to get sanction of more monetary benefit and thereby causing loss to the public exchequer. Hence, the PIL.
The State counsel states that the tender of Respondent No.3 for has expired on 01.04.2023 and the steps have been taken for inviting fresh tender for the purpose of RMMU but the process could not be expedited because of some reshuffling in the Medical Department at the secretariat level. Learned State counsel further submitted that the terms and condition of the RMMU tender, which was given to the respondent No.3, though, have been violated by him for which penalty has also been imposed upon him as it is demonstrated from the return filed by the State.
Hari Agrawal , counsel for the petitioner has pointed out that though the term of Respondent No.3 has expired on 01.04.2023 but he is still working under the stop gap arrangement.
Having heard counsel for the parties and having considered the material, the Division Bench of Chief Justice Ramesh Sinha and Justice Rajani Dubey directed the Respondent No.2 that the stop gap arrangement, which has been made through Respondent No.3, who was earlier allotted the tender in question, which subsequently got expired on 01.04.2023, shall ensure proper and effective steps with regard to tender of RMMU. The Respondent No.2 is further directed by the High Court to ensure that fresh tender for RMMU would be floated as expeditiously as possible without any deviation.
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