Former Karnataka Speaker Ramesh Kumar in trouble for ‘medicines fraud’; lawyer files complaint
Trouble mounts for former Karnataka Assembly Speaker Ramesh Kumar as a lawyer has filed a complaint against him with the Lokayukta, alleging corruption in the health ministry when Ramesh Kumar was the minister concerned.
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FollowBengaluru: Former Speaker of the Karnataka Assembly Ramesh Kumar is in the dock.
A complaint against him was filed by a lawyer Shiva Reddy with the Lokayukta, based on a 2018 report filed by the Comptroller and Auditor General (CAG) related to malpractices, irregularities and corruption in the procurement of medicines and their mediocre quality.
The complainant alleges that, when the aforesaid corruption took place, Ramesh Kumar was at the helm of affairs as the health minister.
The report states that from the year 2014 to 2017, the medicines purchased were of mediocre quality and the then minister didn’t bother to have the quality examined.
Interestingly, 14,209 batches of medicines were procured during this period, but the minister got only 6,776 samples examined.
The result of the quality-examination said that medicines supplied by 16 companies were found to short of quality.
Shockingly, the complainant alleges, the same mediocre medicines were supplied to the patients.
Furthermore, the complainant alleges that Ramesh Kumar maintained a stoic silence despite knowing the medicines were of below-the standard-level quality.
He has also spoken about the importance of quality medicines that play an important role in maintaining the health of citizens and said that they therefore must be unblemished.
The complaint’s letter also makes a mention of another senior Congress leader and health minister UT Khader, but no complaint was filed against him.
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