LDF walkout in assembly over alleged corruption in Kerala Medical Service Corporation

THIRUVANANTHAPURAM: CPI-M led LDF Opposition members in Kerala walked out of the assembly protesting government refusal to discuss alleged corruption and inefficiency in the functioning of Kerala Medical Service Corporation, that supplies medicines to government hospitals and Medical Colleges hospitals.

Replying to the notice for an adjournment motion, Health Minister VS Sivakumar rejected the opposition charges and said the Corporation was a powerful mechanism to supply medicines from primary health centre to Medical College hospitals.

During the current financial year, medicines worth Rs 350 crores were supplied. E-tender for the purchase of medicines for the coming fiscal would be floated today and all process in this regard would be completed by March.

VS Sunil Kumar (CPI), seeking a debate on the matter, alleged that there were irregularities and corruption in the purchase of medicines by the Corporation. "Large quantities of unnecessary drugs were being stocked by the corporation", he said.

Before the walkout, opposition leader V S Achuthanandan said though nine months have passed since the Comptroller and Auditor General report mentioned that medicines worth Rs 20 crore were missing from Corporation godowns, no action has been taken on the matter so far.