Vijayan govt overcharged for PPE kits: CAG

Thiruvananthapuram

A report by the Comptroller and Auditor General (CAG) presented in the Kerala Legislative Assembly on Tuesday revealed that during the COVID-19 pandemic, the Kerala government, led by Chief Minister Pinarayi Vijayan, sold PPE kits at inflated prices. The kits, which were available for Rs 550, were purchased at Rs 1550, resulting in a loss of Rs 10 crores. The issue came to light in March 2020 when Kerala reported the first COVID-19 case in India.

Opposition leader V.D. Satheesan accused Vijayan and Health Minister K.K. Shailaja of being responsible for the scam, while the CPI-M dismissed the claims, calling it political witch-hunting by the Centre. Satheesan pointed out that three companies had offered to supply the kits for Rs 500 each, but the order was instead given to San Pharma at Rs 1550. He claimed that Shailaja had approved the purchase on Vijayan's instructions, and a 100% advance was paid to the company.

CPI-M leader K. Anilkumar dismissed the CAG's findings, suggesting that the Centre was using organizations to target the Kerala government. Health expert S.S. Lal, who has worked with the WHO, called the incident daylight robbery, criticizing the Health Department’s handling of purchases. Lal, a former Congress candidate, supported the CAG’s stance on the issue.