BENGALURU: “Which officer approved the usage of PPE kits that were deemed unfit for use by the Rajasthan government?” “Who are the officials responsible for purchasing PPE kits, masks and equipment that were not medical grade?” “What was the justification given at the senior officials meeting for the Rs 815 crores spike in the cost of purchasing ambulances?” are just some of the questions raised by the Public Accounts Committee (PAC) inquiring into the Covid-19 expenditure of the government.
The committee headed by Congress leader and former Minister H K Patil has now asked the Comptroller and Auditor General (CAG) to audit Covid-19 expenses and SDRF funds spent for Covid management by the Karnataka government. The PAC on Tuesday directed the CAG to audit expenses on 23-point terms that touches upon various aspects of Covid expenditure cited by the government.
The PAC, that had been inquiring into the expenses, has now given the CAG a month to complete the audit and form special teams to carry on the audit if needed. “Provide details of all medical equipment, ambulances, sanitisers, PPE kits, ventilators (each item, each equipment, price-wise, company-wise, component-wise, college-wise details) etc bought for government and private medical colleges under the medical education department,” the PAC asked the CAG. The CAG has agreed to complete the audit in a month given the urgency of the situation.