GVK EMRI on a tightrope walk

Hyderabad: A decade after its launch, the GVK-EMRI (Emergency Management and Research Institute) or 108 Services, said to be the largest integrated emergency response service in the country, is facing a tempest confronting allegations of irregularities.

It may be noted here that the Ministry of Health had appointed a two-member committee consisting of Warangal (West) MLA D Vinay Bhaskar and Thungathurthy MLA Gadari Kishore Kumar to look into the issues of 108 Service employees.

The members, who met the GVK-EMRI Director K Krishnam Raju and Chief Operating Officer P Brahmananda Rao a couple of days ago, are yet to submit the report to Health Minister C Lakshma Reddy. Going by the committee’s findings, the GVK Group, which is at the helm of affairs of 108 Services, is reportedly mired in several irregularities.

It’s also reported that the committee may recommend to the government to order a probe into alleged irregularities. However, the GVK-EMRI management appears to have all the answers to the speculations doing round that there is a possibility of sidelining the GVK Group from operating the 108 Services and handing it over to another organisation.

The committee pointed out that the management had siphoned off funds to the tune of Rs 74 crore of the total Rs 79 crore sanctioned by the then (united AP) government for the modernization of ambulances. Although the Comptroller and Auditor General of India (CAG) had found that there was a misuse of Rs 15 crore, the then government didn’t take any action against the management, the panel observed, stating that the details were available with the Principal Secretary, Medical and Health Department.

Speaking to The Hans India, Vinay Bhaskar said, “The management has been claiming the expenditure incurred by the maintenance of four ambulance services running in seven mandals that have been transferred to Andhra Pradesh even after the state bifurcation from the Telangana government.

“We have nothing to hide,” GVK-EMRI Chief Operating Officer P Brahmananda Rao said, refuting the charges against them. Referring to the issue of Rs 79 crore funds meant for the modernization of ambulances, he said, “It was just an estimation sent to the government and it was blown out of proportion even though we didn’t receive funds on that account.

As of now, the government owes Rs 6.15 crore pertaining to the expenditure incurred between 2012 and March 2015 to the organisation.” While admitting that the Telangana government was paying to the expenditure of ambulances that were operated in seven mandals of Khammam district that were transferred to AP, he said the Andhra government had agreed to bear the expenses of these ambulances once the assets are handed over to them. This amount would be reimbursed to the TS government, he added.

Downplaying the allegations of misuse of benevolent fund of the employees, he said the organisation has decided to reimburse Rs 16.50 lakh to the employees to avoid needless controversy.Another member of the committee Gadari Kishore Kumar said that they are yet to finalise the report.

Meanwhile, the speculation is rife that a decision will be taken after Chief Minister K Chandrashekar Rao returns from China. The GVK-EMRI is operating a fleet of 336 ambulances in Telangana. In all, 9,367 ambulances are operational in 15 states and two Union Territories serving over 21,663 emergencies per day under the Public Private Partnership (PPP) mode.

By:Adepu Mahender