New Delhi, July 1: The political landscape in Delhi is heating up with fresh allegations surrounding the so-called “Delhi Drug Scam.” Saurabh Bhardwaj, the Delhi state president of the Aam Aadmi Party (AAP), has accused the government of significant financial irregularities in the procurement of X-ray machines. He claims that approximately ₹103 crore was embezzled in the purchase of 448 portable X-ray machines.
Bhardwaj asserts that the market price for these portable X-ray machines is around ₹10 lakh each, yet the government purchased them at nearly ₹33 lakh per unit. According to him, the total expenditure for 448 machines amounted to about ₹148 crore, while their actual cost should have been around ₹45 crore.
He alleges that the difference of approximately ₹103 crore is a result of kickbacks. Bhardwaj pointed out that a person named Rajiv Rangila played a crucial role in this matter. He claims that Rangila established a company named F-Med Devices, securing a distributorship from a major portable X-ray machine manufacturer, and sold the machines to the Delhi government at inflated prices.
Bhardwaj noted that the government was already aware of its need for 450 to 500 portable X-ray machines. However, only a tender for the purchase of two machines was issued on the government portal. He alleges that the tender conditions and technical specifications were crafted in such a way that only one specific company could qualify. Consequently, no other company participated in the tender, allowing the related company to secure the contract.
He claims that following the tender officially issued for two machines, 448 machines were secretly procured from the same company. According to him, this entire process violates the principles of transparency and raises serious questions about the government procurement system.
Bhardwaj labeled the incident as the “X-Ray Machine Scam,” alleging misuse of public funds and significant waste of taxpayer money in Delhi. He has called for an independent and impartial investigation into the matter and demands that the entire procurement process be made public.
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