mangalore today

Political games by opposition against CM’s son’s lab: Health minister


Mangalore Today News Network

Mangaluru, Apr 15, 2016: Health minister UT Khader on April 14,  Thursday said it is most immoral that political games are played out by the opposition. Though chief minister Siddaramaiah’s son’s company has gone through due tender process and has been found to be technically qualified to run the super specialty diagnostics lab in PMSSY Hospital.


UT Khader"Nepotism or influence exerted by the CM does not bear. The opposition does not have anything to target the CM, who is very popular. So, they are taking this wrong route to target him, even though his son, Dr Yathindra Siddaramaiah, bagged the tender after being found qualified in all aspects," said U T Khadar.

Matrix Imaging Solutions India, is a company jointly owned by the CM’s younger son, it bagged the tender to set up a super specialty lab at government-run PMSSY Hospital. This is in violation of the code of conduct prescribed for central and state ministers. The code explicitly bars any minister’s relative from conducting business with the government.

Regarding the code of conduct, Khader retorted: "It will not mean that if a person, well qualified he/she is, happens to be minister’s relative they have to stay out even when there’s no question of influence. Politics in matters where a person/company is well-qualified is unnecessary. Dr Yathindra is a person of integrity as it is known, he has never used his father’s position to project himself nor flaunts that he is CM’s son. "

"The process was transparent, the department had called for tenders. If there was a clause that minister’s kin or CM’s son should not apply, Dr Yathindra would not have applied. He applied and got the tender as he met all specifications. Why pin point the matter when there is no malformed action,’’ he said.