Health min orders probe into leaked audio clip

Ghaziabad: The minister of state for health, Atul Garg, said he would write to the woman official who was heard in an audio clip purportedly making serious allegations of corruption in the health department of the district.
The minister said a thorough investigation would be conducted into the official’s claims and she would be asked to produce evidence for her allegations. Sources said the leaked audio clip had also reached the chief minister’s office. RTI activist Nutan Thakur has demanded a detailed investigation into the matter.
In the 6-minute clip, the official, who was earlier posted in Ghaziabad, can be heard accusing a state minister and a few of her senior colleagues of indulging in corruption. One of the allegations is about officials taking a huge amount of money for providing internships to MBBS students. The official can be reportedly heard saying that earlier, Rs 20,000 would be charged annually for allowing such programmes on paper while students continued their studies at home. But now, the amount has been increased to Rs 80,000, the official purportedly alleges.
In the clip, she also claims that a senior posted in Meerut takes money for approving maternity leaves. On Monday, the health official declined to say much about the leaked audio tape. “I have informed my department head about the entire episode. I am also seeking legal advice. I do not want to say anything further,” she said.
A day earlier, the official had claimed that the clip had been tampered with and “this mischievous act was done with an intention to malign my image”. She had also said that a complaint had been given to police. Meanwhile, the health officers whose names can be heard in the clip have all refuted the allegations.