The Aam Aadmi Party has levelled fresh charges against Chief Secretary Naresh Kumar, alleging his son’s company, MetaMix, received a contract for AI software development at the Institute of Liver and Biliary Sciences Hospital without proper tendering.
File photo of Delhi Chief Secretary Naresh Kumar.
New Delhi,UPDATED: Nov 17, 2023 15:00 IST
The Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) government has levelled fresh allegations against Delhi Chief Secretary Naresh Kumar, accusing him of involvement in a ‘hospital scam’ following previous accusations of a Rs 850 crore land compensation scam linked to the Dwarka Expressway project.
According to a detailed supplementary report submitted by Vigilance Minister Atishi to Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal on Friday (November 17), Naresh Kumar’s son’s company, MetaMix, was allegedly awarded a contract to develop AI software for Delhi government’s Institute of Liver and Biliary Sciences (ILBS) Hospital without a tender process.
The company, which was reportedly formed only eight months prior to the deal and is said to lack experience in creating AI software, is accused of making profits worth hundreds of crores from the project.
“In a textbook case of nepotism, Chief Secretary Naresh Kumar influenced the resources and expertise of ILBS to be used to develop MetaMix’s technology free-of-cost; even getting ILBS to play a role in promoting and marketing the technology. All of this was achieved through signing of a MoU on a nomination basis with MetaMix,” the report states.
Sources within the AAP government claim that as the Chief Secretary of Delhi, Naresh Kumar also holds the position of Chairman of the Governing Council of ILBS Hospital. During his tenure, not only was the decision to approve the MOU with MetaMix sanctioned, but a Virtual Reality Lab was inaugurated under this agreement.
The MOU between MetaMix and ILBS Hospital, described as highly beneficial for the startup owned by Naresh Kumar’s son, Karan Chauhan, involved ‘Conducting Research and study work on simulation of various endoscopy procedures using Augmented Reality’. It was signed just 20 days after Naresh Kumar became Chief Secretary.
The agreement stipulated that profits from any AI product developed through the research would be split equally between MetaMix and ILBS Hospital. This partnership is projected to yield substantial annual profits for MetaMix, leveraging the database and expertise of ILBS, a leading institute in Asia.
The supplementary report highlights that proper procedures were not followed in selecting MetaMix for the project, raising concerns over the direct selection and signing of the agreement.
In light of these allegations, Minister Atishi has called for the immediate removal of Chief Secretary Naresh Kumar from his post and for disciplinary action to be taken. She has further recommended that the agreement between MetaMix and ILBS be terminated and the case be referred to the Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) for a thorough probe.
Earlier, Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal sent the inquiry report detailing the Rs 850 crore corruption allegations against the Chief Secretary to Delhi Lt Governor Vinai Kumar Saxena. The Delhi government also referred the matter to the CBI.
Published By:
Devika Bhattacharya
Published On:
Nov 17, 2023
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