Dean's WhatsApp post sparks controversy
Lokmat News Network
Chhatrapati Sambhajinagar
Dean of the Government Medical College and Hospital (GMCH), Dr. Shivaji Sukre, has claimed in a WhatsApp group post that he was pressured by certain members of the Board of Visitors to award a Rs 1 crore contract to the son of one of their associates. He alleged that after refusing the request, he became the target of false complaints.
The controversy erupted following a post by a former committee member in the group, prompting Dr. Sukre to respond. In his post, he described the allegations as baseless and said he had discussed the issue at length with MLA Pradeep Jaiswal at the SSB. According to Dr. Sukre, the MLA expressed satisfaction with his performance.
Demand for special audit
Meanwhile, former Board of Visitors member Praveen Shinde has accused Dr. Sukre of administrative irregularities and has demanded a special audit.
In a memorandum addressed to the Chief Minister, Deputy Chief Minister, and Medical Education Minister, Shinde raised the following concerns:
• Around Rs 90 lakh was allegedly spent on renovations of the Dean's office, with no supporting documents submitted to audit officials.
• Major expenditures were incurred for launching e-office, e-hospital, and e-library initiatives.
• Computers were reportedly procured via the Government e-Marketplace (GEM) portal at nearly twice the prevailing local market rates.
• The Comptroller and Auditor General (CAG), Mumbai, flagged serious discrepancies in their audit report, allowing GMCH a month to respond. As no compliance has been submitted so far, Shinde reiterated the need for a special audit.