Bokaro: Alleging serious financial irregularities in the procurement of medical equipment through the Government e-Marketplace (GeM) portal, Bokaro District Congress Committee Vice-President Devashish Mandal has sought a high-level inquiry by the Anti-Corruption Bureau (ACB), Jharkhand into the purchase of an anaesthesia machine for Bokaro Sadar Hospital.
In a letter submitted to the Additional Director General of the ACB, Ranchi, on July 4, 2026, Mandal alleged that an anaesthesia machine purchased through the GeM portal on March 16, 2025, was procured at a highly inflated price. Referring to information reportedly obtained under the Right to Information (RTI) Act, 2005, he claimed the machine, with an estimated market value of around ₹8.30 lakh, was purchased for ₹17.95 lakh, resulting in an alleged excess expenditure of nearly ₹9.65 lakh.
The Congress leader alleged that officials of the Health Department defeated the very objective of the GeM portal, which was introduced by the Central Government in 2016 to ensure transparent, competitive and corruption-free public procurement by eliminating middlemen and enabling direct purchases from registered vendors. Instead, he claimed, officials allegedly colluded with suppliers to procure equipment at prices significantly higher than prevailing market rates, causing a substantial loss to the state exchequer.
Mandal further alleged that similar irregularities could have occurred in other purchases made through the GeM portal during the tenure of the concerned officials. He also levelled allegations against former Bokaro Civil Surgeon Dr. Abhay Bhushan Prasad, claiming that arbitrary decisions were taken during his tenure and calling for a thorough scrutiny of procurement records.
Demanding immediate intervention, Mandal urged the ACB to conduct a comprehensive investigation into all medical equipment and other items procured through the GeM portal by the Health Department during the relevant period. He also sought strict legal action against any officials or suppliers found responsible for financial irregularities or misuse of public funds.
The allegations have been made in a demand letter submitted to the Anti-Corruption Bureau. No official response from the Health Department or the ACB was available at the time of filing this report.
