The Kerala Lokayukta, after conducting a preliminary probe into the complaints that kickbacks were received in the purchases made during the COVID-19 period in 2020 by the medical authorities led by then State Health Minister KK Shailaja, on Friday decided to serve a notice to her and 10 others to be present on December 8 with their replies. 

The complaints came from Veena S Nair, a Congress leader in Thiruvananthapuram and a few others who alleged that purchases for fighting COVID-19, especially PPE (personal protective equipment) kits, were purchased at a price of Rs 1,550 per unit, which they said was much higher than the price in the open market then. Incidentally, it was a vernacular TV channel which first came out with the details of how and what had happened when PPE kits were purchased.

Veena had filed a complaint with the anti-corruption body two months ago alleging that PPE kits were purchased at excessive rates in 2020 through the Kerala Medical Services Corporation Limited (KMSCL), the purchasing firm of the state health department. Nair alleged in her complaint that on March 29, 2020, a single PPE kit was priced at Rs 446 while the next day, it was purchased at Rs 1,550. She also alleged that kickbacks were given in the deal.

Besides PPE kits, Veena also alleged corruption in purchases of other medical equipment, including gloves, thermometers and oxygen metres. Shailaja has denied the allegations calling them politically motivated and said that they will be dealt with legally. 

When the Congress-led opposition raised this issue on the floor of the Assembly, state Health Minister Veena George and even Chief Minister Pinarayi Vijayan defended their government and dismissed the opposition allegations as "nothing but creating a political issue out of nothing".

But the media then came out with the right to information replies and it was found out that the replies given to it did not match, forcing the complainants to approach the Lokayukta, which did a preliminary probe and then decided to send notices.

Incidentally, when COVID-19 struck, Shailaja had won kudos for the way the pandemic was handled in the state. But, when Pinarayi won the second term in office, many expected Shailaja to be again taken in the cabinet which did not happen.

With IANS inputs

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