A B.A. LL.B. (Hons.) V Semester student of Aligarh Muslim University, Amzad Ali, popularly known as Amjad Siwan, has approached the Ministry of Health & Family Welfare (MoHFW) and the Vigilance Commission through his advocate, seeking an independent vigilance inquiry and forensic audit into alleged irregularities in the procurement and operation of Fully Automated Biochemistry Analysers at Jawaharlal Nehru Medical College (JNMC), AMU.
The complaint concerns Tender No. EXT 1120/MCH dated September 9, 2017, relating to the supply of reagents under a reagent-rental arrangement for Fully Automated Biochemistry Analysers. The representation seeks examination of the complete tender process, evaluation of bidders, award of the contract, test-wise pricing, equipment procurement and utilisation, billing, payments and the continuation of the arrangement after the reported expiry of the five-year agreement.
Questions raised over tender evaluation
According to the representation submitted by Ali, five parties participated in the tender process, but the records obtained under the Right to Information Act allegedly do not contain a technical or commercial comparative evaluation statement. The complaint seeks verification of the manner in which the bids were evaluated and the circumstances in which the contract was awarded to M/s SSV Healthcare.
The representation calls for examination of the original tender file, bid documents, comparative statements, technical evaluation, commercial evaluation, approval notes, purchase orders, agreements and other connected records to establish whether the prescribed procurement procedure was followed.
Alleged ₹20-lakh monthly excess payment
One of the major issues raised in the complaint concerns the alleged pricing of diagnostic tests and payments made under the arrangement.
The representation alleges that the effective rates for certain diagnostic tests may have been substantially higher than comparable rates prevailing in the market and at other government hospitals. The complainant has therefore sought a test-wise comparison of the rates charged at JNMC with relevant industry and government-hospital benchmarks.
The complaint further alleges a possible excess payment of approximately ₹20 lakh per month. If such an alleged excess is established for the reported contractual period of approximately 60 months—from January 19, 2019 to January 18, 2024—the potential excess payment would work out to approximately ₹12 crore.
The figure, however, has been presented in the representation as a potential amount requiring verification through a forensic audit, rather than as an established financial loss.
Forensic audit sought
Ali has requested a detailed forensic examination of:
- test-wise rates charged during the contractual period;
- total number of tests conducted and billed;
- reagent consumption and procurement;
- invoices and payment records;
- monthly expenditure;
- equipment utilisation;
- purchase and supply records;
- contractual obligations of the parties;
- financial approvals and sanction records; and
- payments made before and after the reported expiry of the agreement.
The complaint seeks reconciliation of laboratory records with financial records to determine whether the quantities of reagents, number of tests performed, invoices raised and payments released correspond with one another.
Questions over continuation after January 2024
The representation also raises questions concerning the continuation of the arrangement after the reported expiry of the five-year agreement on January 18, 2024.
The complainant has requested the authorities to examine whether any services, supplies, payments or other contractual activities continued thereafter and, if so, under what authority, approval or contractual arrangement.
Vitros 4600 procurement through GeM
Another issue raised in the representation concerns the procurement of an additional Vitros 4600 analyser through the Government e-Marketplace (GeM) in 2023.
The complaint seeks verification of the procurement process, purchase order, supplier, price, installation, commissioning, utilisation and ownership of the equipment. It also seeks reconciliation of the GeM procurement with the equipment already available under the earlier arrangement.
Publicly available academic material confirms that a VITROS 4600 chemistry analyser has been used for biochemical testing at JNMC, AMU, although that material does not independently establish the procurement allegations raised in Ali’s complaint.
Demand for independent inquiry
The complainant has requested that the matter not be examined solely on the basis of departmental records or internal explanations, but through an independent vigilance inquiry and forensic audit of the complete documentary and financial trail.
The representation also seeks preservation and examination of relevant records so that the authorities can determine the actual expenditure, test volumes, equipment utilisation and payments made during the entire period.
“I have approached the competent authorities in the larger public interest and have requested an independent, time-bound inquiry. The purpose is not to prejudge the matter but to ensure that the official records, financial transactions, procurement documents and test-wise billing are independently examined and the actual facts are established,” Amzad Ali said.
Action sought if allegations are substantiated
The complaint requests the competent authorities to take appropriate action if any irregularity, financial loss, procedural violation or other wrongdoing is established after an independent inquiry and forensic audit.
Ali has specifically sought verification rather than relying merely on allegations, including examination of the tender file, contractual documents, invoices, payment records, equipment inventory, reagent consumption, test registers and other connected records.
The matter is now before the concerned authorities for consideration. The allegations contained in the representation remain subject to verification and determination by the competent authorities.
