CAG flagged RG Kar graft in 2021 but ex-principal Sandip Ghosh refused to respond
Times of India | 22 August 2024
CBI checked Sandip Ghosh’s car KOLKATA: The Comptroller and Auditor General (CAG) had flagged financial irregularities at R G Kar Medical College back in 2021, the year Sandip Ghosh took charge as the principal of the institute. Ghosh had reportedly refused to respond to multiple CAG reminders, raising suspicion he wanted to hide something.
As CAG started looking into the procurement of medicines and equipment by RG Kar, they came across earlier purchases that did not follow state GST norms, leading to an excess expenditure of Rs 1.3cr.
After GST was introduced, the govt notified hospitals that medicines and equipment would be charged under GST even if the vendor had a pre-GST contract. The finance department issued a guideline on working out the base price. But CAG found RG Kar did not follow the base price calculation, prescribed by the finance department. It resulted in an excess expenditure of Rs 1.3 crores, the 2021 CAG report stated, CAG sought a reply from the state. A health department official said no response came from R G Kar.