NEW DELHI: DELHI L-G VK Saxena asked the Central Vigilance Commission (CVC) on Tuesday to investigate the alleged financial irregularities in constructing an additional block at government-run Lok Nayak Hospital.
According to Raj Niwas, a tender floated to construct the block “increased surreptitiously to Rs 1,135 crore from Rs 465 crore”, creating an unauthorised “liability of nearly Rs 670 crores” on city government.
The case pertains to the construction of a new building block in the hospital and was scheduled to begin in November 2020 with a completion period of 30 months.
However, after three and a half years, the current progress of work is only 64 per cent, even as costs have risen by 143 per cent, said a statement issued by Raj Niwas.
The L-G flagged the matter to Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal on June 22 last year, but the AAP-led city government released an order in March this year for approval of the cost overruns, which is still pending, it said.
The official said the L-G has set up a committee to examine the procedural violations that led to the cost escalation to Rs 670 crore. The committee will also examine all ongoing projects in different government-run hospitals.
“This huge cost escalation has happened with a clear collusion of the Delhi Government’s Health Department under Saurabh Bhardwaj and the Public Works Department headed by Atishi Marlena. L-G VK Saxena has asked the Vigilance Department to request the Central Vigilance Commission (CVC) to constitute a special team of Chief Technical Examiners to conduct a detailed technical examination in this matter,” the statement read.
Responding to the L-G directive, AAP senior leader and Cabinet Minister Bharadwaj in a press conference said, “The LG’s work is to order inquiries day and night. What other work has he done for Delhi? The Vigilance department is under him. He does this so that the media asks questions.”