AIIMS accused of violating norms in authorising the tender of a company, allegedly owned by a relative of PK Tripathi, principal secretary to sheila dikshit

Goes it help to be a Babu's nephew?

AIIMS accused of violating norms in authorising the tender of a company, allegedly owned by a relative of PK Tripathi, principal secretary to Delhi CMu00a0Sheila Dikshit

In India family always comes first. Even if it's a matter of business; even if it involves bending of rules. The name of the prestigious All India Institute of Medical Sciences (AIIMS) is in focus for allegedly indulging in corrupt practices.

Unhealthy: This is the first time AIIMS floated a tender for biomedical
waste treatment and Biotic Solutions (webshot on right) got the contract.
Pic/file pic

As per sources, the establishment illegally authorised the tender of a company for a biomedical waste project. Significantly, one of the beneficiaries is Pranav Tripathi, nephew of PK Tripathi, principal secretary to Delhi Chief Minister Sheila Dikshit.

Sources say Pranav is co-owner of M/s Biotic Waste Solutions, the firm that was awarded the contract. Apparently, only three companies - Synergy Waste Management, Metro Bio Care and Biotic Solutions have the authorisation to treat biomedical waste in the city. The tender that cost Rs 1.25 crore, was floated around five to six months ago by AIIMS. Now here's the catch; according to the guidelines, if only one company participates in the contract then the tender should be floated thrice. Though all three companies purchased the tender, only Bio Tic bid for it.

Law, no order
"If only one company bid for the tender, then the process should beu00a0 carried out thrice. This is in the guidelines of Central Vigilance Commission (CVC) too," said a senior doctor from AIIMS on the condition of anonymity.

Earlier, AIIMS used to take care of its biomedical waste internally. This was the first instance when the institute floated a tenderu00a0 for the process. Sources also pointed out that Biotic Solutions is new in the business. While Synergy Waste Management and Metro Bio Care have been around since 2002, Biotic came into the fray only in 2009.

"This is a clear case of corruption. We have been in the business for the last eight years and are aware of all the rules and regulations. How can only one company bid for the tender and get the contract?" said a senior official from Synergy Waste Management on the condition of anonymity, as he is not authorised to speak to the media.

One and only
Surprisingly, only one company out of the three fulfils the terms and conditions of the tender. It has been alleged that this might has done to give a clear edge to Biotic.

"The rules are tailor-made to suit the particular company. How is it possible that the new company fulfils all the terms and conditions of the tender, while the other two, more experienced companies, don't?" said a senior official from the Health Department.

Sources say that Pranav Tripathi is the only active partner in Biotic. "He looks after all the legal work as he gets them easily done because of his clout," said a source.

"Single bid tenders are not allowed. If it's an urgent matter, then one needs to get permission from CVC before awarding the contract to any company," said a senior official from Health Department on the condition of anonymity.

Ignorance is bliss
"It's news to me that if a single company bids for the tender, then the tender has to be floated thrice," said Dr DK Sharma, Medical Superintendent, AIIMS.

Also, one of the other two companies has taken up the matter to Central Vigilance Commission (CVC). A letter of complaint, which is exclusively with MiD DAY says: "How can a government body allot a tender to a single bidder? According to the guidelines, a firm that is bidding for a tender for the first time cannot be awarded the contract. We will also like to mention that the company is owned by a person who is a related to a senior IAS officer of Delhi Government." PK Tripathi did not respond to any calls or messages from MiD DAY.

Rs 1.25 crore

Stay protacted

What can you do to protect yourself from biomedical wastes?
*u00a0Wash your hands with soap and warm water after handling biomedical waste. Also, wash all areas of your body with soap and water that you think may have come into contact with biomedical waste, even if you are not sure your body actually touched the biomedical waste.
* Keep all sores and cuts covered.
* Immediately replace wet bandages with clean, dry bandages.
* Wear disposable latex gloves when handling biomedical waste. Discard the gloves immediately after use.
* Wear an apron or another type of cover to protect your clothes from contact with the waste. If your clothes become soiled, put on fresh clothes, and take a shower, if possible.
* Launder or throw away clothes soiled with biomedical waste.
* Promptly clean and disinfect soiled, hard-surfaced floors by using a germicidal or bleach solution and mopping up with paper towels.

The Other Side

When MiD DAY contacted Pranav Tripathi, he initially refused to comment on the issue. But, later he claimed he wasn't a relative of PK Tripathi and his company won the contract on merit.
"It's really an honour that you are associating my name with his. But, I want to tell you that our company won the tender on merit and not by any illegal means," said Pranav Tripathi.

Trash talk

At the site where it is generated, biomedical waste is placed in specially-labelled bags and containers for removal by biomedical waste transporters.
Other forms of waste should not be mixed with biomedical waste as different rules apply to the treatment of different types of waste.
Household biomedical waste usually consists of needles and syringes from drugs administered at home (such as insulin), soiled wound dressings, disposable gloves, and bedsheets or other cloths that have come into contact with bodily fluids.
Disposing of these materials with regular household garbage puts waste collectors at risk for injury and infection especially from sharps as they can easily puncture a standard household garbage bag.
Many communities have programs in place for the disposal of household biomedical waste. Some waste treatment facilities also have mail-in disposal programs.
Biomedical waste treatment facilities are licensed by the local governing body which maintains laws regarding the operation of these facilities.
The laws ensure that the general public is protected from contamination of air, soil,groundwater, or municipal water supply.

Who's PK Tripathi

P K Tripathi is considered very close to Sheila Dikshit. He is Principal Secretary to the Chief Minister and is being tipped as next Chief Secretary of Delhi. He is a 1977 batch IAS officer.

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