ESI Scam: TDP spokesperson accuses Jagan govt & ACB of conspiracy, based on remand report

TDP spokesperson K Pattabhiram on Sunday based on the remand report, accused Jagan Mohan Reddy government and the Anti-Corruption Bureau (ACB) of carrying out a conspiracy behind the arrest and ill-treatment of former Labour Minister and Tekkali TDP MLA K Atchannaidu. According to him, as per the remand report, it is obvious that this arrest was made to divert people's attention from the failures of the current government in the past one year. 

Telugu Desam Legislature Party Deputy leader and former Andhra Pradesh minister K Atchannaidu was taken into custody by state Anti-Corruption Bureau sleuths over alleged irregularities in ESI procurement. A few days ago, ACB authorities arrested former Insurance Medical Services (IMS) director Dr. CK Ramesh Kumar in Tirupati. Atchannaidu was arrested based on Dr. Kumar's confession and available evidence.

Speaking to the news agency, ANI, the TDP Spokesperson stated that on June 10, the Supreme Court had passed serious strictures against Jagan Reddy misrule in State Election Commissioner Ramesh Kumar's case. He further added that within a few hours Labour Department Principal Secretary issued a memo to the ACB Director-General who showed undue haste to get an FIR registered by the DSP concerned on the same day. "The very next day, the ACB officials questioned four persons and completed their probe in a single day on June 11. Atchannaidu was arrested in the early hours of the next day on June 12," Pattabhiraman said.

Read: Chandrababu Naidu accuses Andhra CM Jagan of 'taking revenge' against 'rival' TDP leaders

TDP alleges ill-treatment of MLA 

Addressing a virtual press conference, the TDP spokesperson questioned Andhra Pradesh Chief Minister Jagan Mohan Reddy and his government over the "misuse of power" in order to persecute rival leaders. He further condemned the way in which the MLA was arrested without any proper legal notices or sufficient health precautions to guard against COVID-19. He also questioned why was the MLA arrested in the dark and why was he being treated "like a terrorist."

According to Pattabhiram, the whole cycle of events had begun because the Supreme Court reinstated Ramesh Kumar as the State Election Commissioner. 

Read: ESI Scam: Andhra Pradesh ACB arrests senior TDP leader, Chandrababu cries vendetta

What is the 'ESI Scam'? 

In February this year, the Andhra Pradesh vigilance and enforcement department unearthed a multi-crore scam in purchases of medicines, dispensaries, and diagnostic centres of ESI-affiliated hospitals. Upon investigation, it was revealed that an amount of Rs 975.79 crore was spent on procuring the equipment during the previous TDP regime. During the regime, Atchannaidu had served as the labour and employment minister. 

Read: Senior TDP leader Atchannaidu taken into custody in "ESI scam"

According to the authorities, Atchannaidu had directed former Insurance Medical Services (IMS) director, Dr. CK Ramesh Kumar, in writing in 2016 to issue work orders to a company 'Tele Health Services Pvt Ltd' bypassing norms such as inviting open tenders for a contract. Reportedly, the contract required the company to provide toll-free services to patients under the ESI scheme for assistance in pending medical reimbursements and referral bills. The IMS had then signed two MoUs with the company, out of which one permitted the conducting of electrocardiogram (ECG) tests for patients under the ESI scheme.

A probe into the matter revealed that the service-provided had falsely claimed the bills by submitting call logs of Telangana IPs, which were not verified by the authorities, while the company also violated other norms including availing services of post-graduate diploma-holder clinical cardiologists, instead of specialists, who hold a degree in Doctorate of Medicine (DM). 

Read: Andhra: CPI leader expresses happiness over SC's stand on reinstating Ramesh Kumar as SEC

(With ANI Inputs)