PALAMPUR: Shanta Kumar former Chief Minister and senior BJP leader today came down heavily on Vir Bhadara Singh who was unnecessarily dragging Vivekanand Medical Research Trust (VMRT) into dirty politics and trying to make it a election issue in Kangra. He said such higher institution meant for public service should be kept away from the politics.
Shanta Kumar regretted that till yesterday Mr. Vir Bhadara Singh was publicly appreciating the functioning of the VMRT and he had made public statement to this effect in the media. He said today when the defeat of congress was imminent in the assembly election he had twisted his stand and accusing VMRT as center of irregularities. He said it was most unfortunate that as and when elections for assembly or parliament were due congress leaders raised the issue of VMRT for political gains.
Mr. Shanta Kumar who is also chairman of the VMRT was addressing a news conference at his residence this afternoon. He said the statement of congress leaders in this context were politically motivated and they were unnecessarily making VMRT as target to get a political mileage in the assembly elections.
He said Mr Vir Bhadara Sing was chairman of thirteen trust and these trust had huge income but he had never discloses these facts to state government, but on the other hand VMRT was regularly sending its income and expenditure statements to government.
He disclosed that in past five years Mr Vir Bhadara Singh deviated rupees two crores from the state government funds to Bhima Kali Mandir Trust, which was headed by him. He said whereas not even single paisa was given to other temples of the state. He said it was a case of misuse of funds and public of the state wanted to know under what context rupees two crore was transferred to a temple of Sarahan, which was his family trust.
He also alleged that besides this amount Vir Bhadara Singh also transferred rupees eighty lakh from the state tourism department for the development of his family trust. He said Chief Minsiter had been indulging in mud slugging and had no moral values. He said till yesterday Vir Bhadara Singh was claiming his self as “Mr. Clean†but the audio CD released by Major Vijay Singh Mankotia had badly exposed him and his corrupt deals.
Shanta Kumar clarified that he had time and again publicly stated the VMRT was public trust meant for the welfare of the public; it was not his individual property. He said Vir Bhadara Singh was misleading the people that he had become a life trustee. He said he was only a chairman of the trust appointed by the trustees. All the documents of the trust were with the state government and Chief Minister was at liberty to verify the facts and apprise his colleagues before issuing any statements to this effect.
He said health minister and secretary health were the ex-officio trustees and part of this trust. The Balance Sheet and other documents were regularly sent to the state government from time to time, though under India Trust Act, the trust was not legally bound to provide these documents to the state government, he added. He said VMRT had maintained complete transparency in its accounts . He regretted that those persons who had not donated even a single rupee to the VMRT were leveling the allegations.
He said Vir Bhadara Singh must visit the trust complex before criticizing the trust in media, they should come to know that what type of services the trust was rendering to the public. He said in past two years hundreds of persons including foreigners had availed the services of the trust and were cured for various ailments.
A senior journalist from Palampur.
