Odisha Pradesh Congress Committee demands Naba scalp over mask purchase

BHUBANESWAR: The Odisha Pradesh Congress Committee (OPCC) on Sunday targeted the State Government over the alleged irregularities in procurement of masks and PPE kits, and demanded resignation of Health Minister Naba Kishore Das in this connection.

Alleging that the Government procured masks costing only Rs 1.5 per piece at Rs 16, Congress leader in-charge of COVID-19 control room Sudarsan Das referred to a statement of the Health Minister which claimed that the purchase was made as per the price ceiling fixed by the Centre. Das had said the Centre which had fixed the price of masks per piece at Rs 10, revised it to Rs 16 per piece a few days later.

Das, however, said the price quoted the Minister was the retail price fixed by the Centre. “The Minister has failed to understand the difference between retail and wholesale price,” he said and added that masks which Odisha purchased at Rs 16 were procured by several other states like Gujarat and Telangana through the ‘government e-marketing portal’ at Rs 2.4 and Rs 1.34 per piece respectively. State BJP general secretary Prithviraj Harichandan also demanded that the Health Minister should clarify the issue instead of making false and baseless statements.

The ruling BJD defended the Government and asked the Opposition political parties not to resort to cheap politics in this hour of crisis. “The Government has done nothing wrong by purchasing masks at price fixed by the Centre when BJP ruled states have also done so,” BJD spokesperson Sasmit Patra said.