Delhi LG suspends OSD of Health Minister Saurabh Bharadwaj

New Delhi: Delhi Lieutenant Governor VK Saxena on Wednesday suspended Health Minister Saurabh Bharadwaj’s Special Officer (OSD) RN Das with immediate effect over alleged irregularities in procurement of medical kits, an official order said.

In April, Das received a request for comment from the Directorate of Vigilance in connection with alleged irregularities in the procurement of various items such as personal protective equipment (PPE) kits, gloves, masks and rapid antigen test (RAT) kits worth around Rs 60 crore during the COVID-19 pandemic in 2021.

In the order issued on Wednesday, the Directorate said, “The Hon’ble Lieutenant Governor of Delhi suspends the said Dr. RN Das, Special Assistant to the Hon’ble Minister of Health, GNCTD, in exercise of the powers conferred on him by sub-rule (1) of rule 10 of the CCS (CCA) Rules, 1965 with immediate effect.” The BJP has also accused Das of playing a role in the registration of a children’s hospital in Vivek Vihar, where six newborns died in a fire on Saturday night.