Jagan reacts to kit row, says no discrepancy in procurement from South Korean firm

The Andhra Pradesh which had come under the Opposition radar for the procurement of testing kits from a South Korea-based company at a much higher price than a few other states, Chief Minister Y S Jagan Mohan Reddy tried to put to rest the controversy by clarifying that that the state government had included a clause in the procurement order that if the kits are supplied at a lower price than the one quoted to the state, the differential amount would be recovered from the company.

According to some reports, the Jagan led AP government had bought the test kits from Sandor Medicaids Pvt Ltd which has Venkata Muralidhar Reddy as its director. He is brother of minister from Kurnool district, according to reports.

Addressing a high-level meeting at Tadepalli camp office, the Chief Minister said the order for the kits was placed by the state government with the company which was approved by the Indian Council of Medical Research (ICMR). Jagan, however, did not reveal the name of the company the government had placed its order for test kits. He further stated that the ICMR placed an order for RDT kits at Rs 795 per kit, while the state government had placed an order Rs 65 lower.

The state had placed the order for two lakh RDT antibody test kits on April 7 for Rs 730 (excluding GST) per kit. On April 17, Andhra Pradesh received one lakh RDT rapid test kits from South Korea. Further, Jagan said brushed aside allegations saying there were no irregularities or lapses in the procurement of the kits.

Questions were asked by the Opposition leaders including from the BJP and TDP saying AP was the only government paying whatever it takes — and keeping quiet about who’s overcharging.

Suspicion engulfed the AP government after Chhattisgarh minister Singh Deo took to Twitter to reveal the price of the kits procured by his state at Rs 337 + GST from a South Korean company based in India.

BJP’s Kanna Laxminarayana pointed out that the state government should maintain transparency while giving out such details. The Jagan administration was subjected to suspicion after Chhattisgarh minister Singh Deo took to Twitter to reveal the price of the kits procured by his state at Rs 337 + GST from a South Korean company based in India.

“The government showed that the cost of each kit was Rs 730 plus GST while the agriculture department stated that each kit was procured at Rs 640. The YSRCP mouthpiece Sakshi newspaper in its April 9 report stated that each kit cost Rs 1,200. As a matter of fact, the Sakshi newspaper reported that the kits were being exported to other countries from MedTech Zone. The Chhattisgarh government had procured each kit for Rs 337. “Which one of this is true? Why are the versions conflicting? The government should come clean on this. When I tweeted on this issue, Vijaysai Reddy leveled serious allegations against me,” Kanna pointed out.

TDP leaders echoed similar doubts over procurement of the testing kits from South Korea. Referring to Jagan, TDP leader Budha Venkanna said the testing kit scam should not come as a surprise from someone who can squeeze oil from sand. Tweaking the famous lines from Sri Sri poem ‘aadapilla, aggipulla, kukkapilla, sabbu billa kadu edi kavithaki anarham, Venkanna alleged, “Sand, gravel, liquor, even corona testing kits nothing seems to miss Jagan’s eye.”