HP govt trying to hush up health department bribery case: Senior Congress leader GS Bali

He said that any laxity in the probe puts a question mark on the functioning of the government and its agencies

A day after the state vigilance bureau arrested the supplier in the health department bribery case, senior Congress leader and former minister GS Bali accused the BJP-led state government of trying to hush up the matter.

HT File

Addressing a press conference in Kangra on Sunday, Bali said questioned the delay in arrest of the supplier Prithvi Singh.

“The delay in the arrest of Singh indicates that someone is putting pressure on investigation agency,” alleged Bali.

The bribery case came to the light last month when a 43-second audio clip went viral in which the then director of health services Dr AK Gupta was heard seeking bribe from Prithvi Singh.

“Our concern is that it may be an attempt to hush up the matter. The government should come clear on this matter,” said Bali.

He said that any laxity in the probe puts a question mark on the functioning of the government and its agencies.

Bali also raised the issue of a BJP-affiliated contractor not paying full salary to the sanitation workers deployed at the quarantine centre set up at Rajiv Gandhi Government Engineering College, Nagrota Bagwan.

He said that on papers the sanitation workers get ₹7,500 pay but in reality, the contractor was paying them only ₹5,500.

“The issue was first raised by the director of the college. He has also written to the state government and labour commissioner but no action has been taken against the contractor,” he alleged.

He said that a video of the contractor assaulting sanitation workers has also gone viral on social media.