Mumbai: BJP’s Devendra Fadnavis has complained of a Rs 400-crore scam after Maha Vikas Aghadi ministers promised to secure jobs of health workers recruited on contract under National Health Mission.
In a letter to chief minister Uddhav Thackeray, Fadnavis demanded a probe into the “scam” where ordinary citizens were being fleeced with promises of conversion of a contract job into a permanent one. Fadnavis said videos were circulating on contract workers being told to pay Re1 for a form, Rs500 as contribution to the organisation’s fund and Rs 1-2.5 lakh to be paid in an envelope.
He said workers were told to pay in Rs500 and Rs2,000 denomination notes. “Many have taken loans or withdrawn savings from banks to fulfil the demands. There must be an in-depth inquiry, the guilty punished and those in government who are supporting this loot must be exposed,” he said.
Health minister Rajesh Tope said the decision to convert a contract job into a permanent one was taken by the previous government, and a committee had been set up under then finance minister Sudhir Mungantiwar. “Allegations of bribes being sought were first brought to my notice in Gadchiroli. I immediately told the district superintendent and Nagpur deputy health director to probe it,” he said.
Tope said the government was working on converting contract jobs in various sectors into permanent ones and urged people not to fall for bribe demands.
In a letter to chief minister Uddhav Thackeray, Fadnavis demanded a probe into the “scam” where ordinary citizens were being fleeced with promises of conversion of a contract job into a permanent one. Fadnavis said videos were circulating on contract workers being told to pay Re1 for a form, Rs500 as contribution to the organisation’s fund and Rs 1-2.5 lakh to be paid in an envelope.
He said workers were told to pay in Rs500 and Rs2,000 denomination notes. “Many have taken loans or withdrawn savings from banks to fulfil the demands. There must be an in-depth inquiry, the guilty punished and those in government who are supporting this loot must be exposed,” he said.
Health minister Rajesh Tope said the decision to convert a contract job into a permanent one was taken by the previous government, and a committee had been set up under then finance minister Sudhir Mungantiwar. “Allegations of bribes being sought were first brought to my notice in Gadchiroli. I immediately told the district superintendent and Nagpur deputy health director to probe it,” he said.
Tope said the government was working on converting contract jobs in various sectors into permanent ones and urged people not to fall for bribe demands.
