TRICHY: Expired drugs were found to have been used in two government hospitals at Kumbakonam and Thirukatupalli in Thanjavur district during the 2011-2016 AIADMK government’s tenure, according to K Selvaperunthagai, chairman of the Public Accounts Committee of the Tamil Nadu assembly.
These shortcomings have been brought to light in the audit done by the comptroller and auditor general (CAG), he said.
Quoting the CAG report, he told reporters in Thanjavur on Thursday that the scandal happened during 2013-2014.
“Expired drugs to the tune of Rs 26.17 lakh had been used to treat patients particularly during the year 2013-2014 period. If people who have used these drugs are found to have been diagnosed with any side-effects or health problems, action will still be taken against the culprits,” Selvaperunthagai added.
He was speaking during the committee’s inspection of various ongoing developments works in the district.
He said the committee observed that orphaned children and those involved in criminal activities were lodged on the same premises at a government observation home, which was not proper. “According to norms, minors in observation homes should not be locked up between 6am and 6pm.
But the home authorities allowed them outside only for an hour a day. We have instructed them to allow them to move freely within the premises during the day,” he added.
He said most of the government buildings constructed during the AIADMK regime were not up to the mark. Those who utilized government money to set up buildings have not ensured quality. Some of the school buildings were in poor condition.
The committee members inspected 14 spots in Thanjavur including old and new bus stands, hospitals and government observation homes including sites where government buildings were being constructed. The other committee members were M Sinthanai Selvan (Kattumannarkoil), E Raja (Sankarankoil), K Poondi Kalaivanan (Tiruvarur), K Marimuthu (Thiruthuraipoondi), T Velmurugan (Panruti) and MH Jawahirullah (Papanasam).
Government chief whip Kovi Chezhian, assembly secretary K Srinivasan and district collector Dinesh Ponraj Oliver also accompanied the committee.
The committee later conducted a review meeting at the collector office, where they discussed the steps to be taken to set right the shortcomings found during the visit, officials said.
