Committee to probe allegations against Lilavati

Deputy chief minister Ajit Pawar on Wednesday told the state assembly that the state government would form a committee to look into the allegations of financial appropriation against the Lilavati Hospital trustees and owners.

Deputy chief minister Ajit Pawar on Wednesday told the state assembly that the state government would form a committee to look into the allegations of financial appropriation against the Lilavati Hospital trustees and owners.

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He said this in response to a calling attention motion on the issue, which raised questions over an alleged black money trail.

BJP legislator Devendra Phadnavis slammed the government for not taking note of the complaints. “There have been allegations that between 2002-2010, Rs300 crore meant for purchasing medicines and equipment were siphoned off and stashed in banks in Mauritius, Dubai and Geneva. The state has not taken any action yet,” he said.

Dilip Walse Patil, speaker of the house, taunted the minister of state for law and judiciary, Bhaskar Jadhav, for not “applying mind” and simply taking the hospital’s clarification at face value.

Patil said hospitals like Lilavati were granted various exemptions, including cheap land, and these institutions were answerable to the government.

Jadhav had claimed that the hospital had submitted its audit for 2009-10 to the charity commissioner and there was nothing wrong in the accounts. He had said the issue was in the ambit of the central government.

The Lilavati Hospital management has welcomed the probe. “Such action will put to rest all the various controversies hovering around the hospital and demonstrate that each of the allegations are baseless and unwarranted,” the hospital spokesperson said.

Meanwhile, the state will make a recommendation to the union government to make censor board certificate mandatory for remix songs and advertisements being shown on television. Minister of state for cultural affairs Fauziya Khan said this in response to a debate on the private resolution moved by legislator Jaykumar Rawal in the lower house.