NEW DELHI: The Central Bureau of Investigation has registered a case against former Rajasthan Chief Minister Ashok Gehlot, former Union Minister Sachin Pilot, Karti Chidambaram, Ravi Krishna and others in the ambulance scam. The agency officials said the alleged crime took place between 2010 and 2013 incurring loss of `2.6 crore to the exchequer.
The FIR registered by the Rajasthan government had named Gehlot, Pilot, Karti Chidambaram, Ravi Krishna (son of former Union Minister Vayalar Ravi), Ziqitza Health Care, its director Sweta Mangal, the then Health Minister of the State Duru Miyan and the then director National Rural Health Mission, sources said.
There are allegations of irregularities in the award of tender in favour of Ziqitza Health Care by deliberately inserting technical specifications and irregularities in the implementation of the project, which included excess bills claimed by firm and paid to them. It may me noted that after BJP formed government in Rajasthan last year, the State government issued an order to register a case on the complaint of Jaipur Mayor Pankaj Joshi.
Joshi had alleged that the 108 ambulance services, which were set up in erstwhile Vasundhara Raje government and were provided by a company EMR, under public-private partnership, was abruptly cancelled. The Gehlot government after coming to power recommended for fresh tenders. Sources in agency alleged that the terms of tenders were tweaked, making it mandatory for the ambulances to have GPS, making Ziqitza Health Care the sole bidder.