Appointment of Satyendar Jain's daughter, CM kin irregular

NEW DELHI: Of all the findings of the Shunglu committee, the charges of nepotism against Delhi government ministers are the most damning.

The report indicts the government for flouting rules in the appointment of

Soumya Jain

, daughter of health minister Satyendar Jain, as advisor to mission director, Delhi State Mission. TOI had reported in July last year about the controversial appointment, following which she had quit.

The committee has observed that the architect Jain's CV didn't support her claim for expertise on mohalla clinics. Also, the Memorandum of Association of State Health Society (Delhi), and the rules and bylaws do not support such an appointment.The committee also didn't find proof as to who approved her appointment.

The appointment order was issued and an expenditure of Rs 1.15 lakh incurred between the date of her joining and the date she resigned from the post, the panel said.“This expenditure seems to have been refunded by a cheque for like amount dated July 1, 2016. There is no document on file to explain the re fund of this amount 14 days prior to resignation,“ the report stated, adding that these events could only be explained by the fact that Soumya Jain is the daughter of Satyendar Jain.

The committee has also questioned the appointment of

Nikunj Agarwal

, who is related to CM Arvind Kejriwal, as OSD to the health minister.

“Dr Agarwal is appointed as senior resident on an ad hoc basis on his mere application by the resident medical officer of

CNBC

hospital, when there was no vacancy in that hospital and the established procedure is to invite applications through advertisements and effect selections after interviews by a panel of expert,“ the report said.

Agarwal was sent to

IIM Ahmedabad

for a management training programme to improve his CV. He also visited China with a team of doctors to study remodelling of hospitals and construction of new ones. “Co-terminus appointment can be made only with the approval of the LG but the matter is not placed before the LG. The case does not seem fit for ex-post facto approval,“ the report said.