Chandigarh: Congress flags financial irregularities at PGIMER

The Congress on Friday alleged lapses and irregularities in the handling of PGIMER finances in a development that coincided with the institute’s financial adviser Varun Ahluwalia requesting for a return to his parent cadre.

Ahluwalia, who in the capacity of the adviser looked after all of PGIMER’s financial matters, including budget and procurement, had earlier this week requested repatriation to the Comptroller and Auditor General (CAG), his parent cadre, New Delhi.

Congress working committee member Pawan Khera, in the backdrop of the request, flagged the alleged irregularities in a post on ‘X’, writing, “Explosive information coming from within Post Graduate Institute of Medical Education & Research, Chandigarh. The financial department of the institute has identified lapses and irregularities in various tenders and purchases made by the institute involving hundreds of crores.”

Khera posed a series of questions to the Centre in a separate post, tagging the Union ministry of health and family welfare, “The @MoHFW_INDIA should come clean on the following questions: Is a powerful union minister influencing PGIMER’s financial decisions? Do the key appointees of the institute have any ties with the minister? Are tenders being awarded to companies connected with the minister?”

Upon being contacted to elaborate on the allegations, Khera said, “There are so many such cases going on inside the institute. Some officers have direct links with the ministers as well.”

PGIMER officials privy to matter, meanwhile, revealed that Khera may have been referring to a purchase of machines for the institute’s radiotherapy department, adding that a few doctors had also flagged the equipment’s poor quality.

Ahluwalia remained unavailable for comment and staff at his Kairon Block office informed that he was on leave.

Having joined as PGIMER’s financial adviser back in December 2023 at the conclusion of Kumar Abhay’s tenure, Ahluwalia served in the position for under a year before requesting his repatriation.

According to sources, Ahluwalia did not share cordial working relations with a senior administrative officer at PGIMER, which promoted the request. He, however, maintained that he had sought to be repatriated to CAG owing to “personal circumstances”.

PGIMER, according to those privy to administrative details, has given the charge of financial adviser to the department of community medicine head Arun K Aggarwal in Ahluwalia’s absence.

Institute rubbishes claims

A PGI spokesperson rubbished the allegations, saying, “The points raised in said post are not based on facts and appear to be mischievous.”

A senior official from PGI, however, was also quick to dismiss Congress’ claims, saying there was no truth to the allegations. “No purchase is made without the concurrence of the finance department. The files of purchase move from the financial adviser to the director,” the official added.

Attempts to contact PGIMER director Dr Vivek Lal remained unanswered.