The round of allegations and counter-allegations regarding the alleged “Delhi drug scam” has intensified in Delhi politics. Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) Delhi state president Saurabh Bhardwaj accused the Rekha Gupta government of large-scale financial irregularities in the purchase of X-ray machines. He claimed that the government had committed a scam of about Rs 103 crore in the purchase of 448 portable X-ray machines.

Saurabh Bhardwaj alleged that the market price of the portable X-ray machines purchased by the Delhi government was around Rs 10 lakh per machine, but the government purchased them at the rate of around Rs 33 lakh per machine. According to him, the government thus spent approximately Rs 148 crore on the purchase of 448 machines, whereas their actual price should have been around Rs 45 crore.

He claims that the difference of about Rs 103 crore between the two amounts is the result of commission embezzlement. The AAP leader alleged that a person named Rajiv Rangeela played an important role in this entire matter. He claimed that Rajeev Rangeela formed a company named F-Med Devices and obtained the distributorship of a big portable X-ray machine manufacturing company and through the same the machines were sold to the Delhi government at a higher price.

According to Saurabh Bhardwaj, the government already knew that it needed about 450 to 500 portable X-ray machines. Despite this, tender for the purchase of only two machines was issued on the government portal. He alleged that the terms and technical parameters of the tender were designed in such a way that only a particular company could prove eligible. As a result, no other company participated in the tender and the concerned company got the contract.

He claimed that after the tender was formally issued for two machines, 448 machines were purchased from the same company behind the scenes. According to him, this entire process is contrary to the principles of transparency and raises serious questions on the government procurement system.

Saurabh Bhardwaj termed the entire matter as an “X-ray machine scam” and alleged that government funds have been misused and tax money of the people of Delhi has been wasted on a large scale. He demanded an independent and impartial investigation into the matter and making the entire procurement process public.