Health dept accuses Ashwini Choubey of not returning files

Patna,(BiharTimes): The health department has accused former minister and BJP leader Ashwini Kumar Choubey of not returning a dozen of its files even four months after his removal from the post.

It needs to be recalled that chief minister Nitish Kumar sacked all the 11 BJP ministers on June 16 after the split in the National Democratic Alliance. At present the chief minister himself is looking after all these portfolios.

Choubey was stuck up in Uttarakhand then when flash flood devastated that state. He was there for pilgrimage and lost some of his relatives in the natural tragedy.

Choubey, however, denies the charge that he has not returned the files.

According to the reports three reminders have been sent to Choubey but has not got any reply from him.

“Yes, 12 files of utmost importance have gone missing from the department. As far as our knowledge goes, the former Health Minister has not returned those files. We have sent him reminders in July, August and at the end of September but to no avail,” Principal Secretary, Health, Deepak Kumar, was quoted in the Telegraph as saying.

However, Choubey told the same daily: “I have returned all the files to the department along with their photocopies and accordingly communicated that to the Principal Secretary, Health. I don’t know why such false allegations are being levelled against me. The department has made a big mistake by asking me about the files which I have already sent. Those who are conspiring against me have to be punished. I shall ask the chief minister and the principal secretary, health, to take action against the conspirators.”

But departmental sources are sure that the files have not been returned by the ousted Minister. While one of the files is related to the recommendations of the Assembly’s Zero Hour Committee on Indira Gandhi Institute of Medical Sciences, another is related to promotion of contract tutors and residents at government medical colleges apart from a file related to health insurance and a confidential sealed file.