3.3 magnitude tremor hits Kutch in Gujarat; no casualty
Ahmedabad (PTI): A tremor of 3.3 magnitude hit Gujarat's Kutch district on Monday morning, the Institute of Seismological Research (ISR) said.
No casualty or loss of property was reported in the district due to the seismic activity, officials said.
The tremor was recorded at 10.05 am, with its epicentre located 12 km west-south west of Rapar, the Gandhinagar-based ISR said.
This is the fourth tremor of more than 3 magnitude recorded in the state's Saurashtra-Kutch region so far this month, the ISR data showed.
Earthquake risk is very high in Gujarat. It has suffered nine major earthquakes in the past 200 years, as per information provided by the Gujarat State Disaster Management Authority (GSDMA).
The 2001 Kutch earthquake was the third largest and second most destructive earthquake in India over the last two centuries, it said.
On January 26 in 2001, Gujarat was struck by an earthquake of 6.9 magnitude with its epicentre located near Bhachau in Kutch that affected the entire state.
The quake had left nearly 13,800 people dead and another 1.67 lakh injured, as per the information provided by the GSDMA.
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Karnataka procured 16 lakh expired RT-PCR kits during Covid wave: D’Cunha commission
Bengaluru: Justice John Michael D’Cunha’s committee has uncovered significant irregularities in the procurement of medical supplies during the Covid-19 pandemic, revealing that more than 16 lakh RT-PCR test kits purchased by Karnataka in 2022 under the BJP-led government were either expired or close to their expiry dates.
After irregularities in PPE kit purchases, ventilators have also come under the scanner, with the report highlighting discrepancies amounting to Rs 173.26 crore in purchases made by the Medical Education Department.
The commission has also found that the Karnataka State Medical Supplies Corporation Ltd. (KSMSCL) that cancelled a supply order for one lakh Rapid Antigen (RAT) kits placed with a Singapore-based company in March 2020 — for delay in supplying — has not recovered the Rs 6.99 crore paid to the company towards the order, as reported by The Hindu on Thursday.
According to the 279-page report on procurements made by the KSMSCL that is compiled in part IV of the report, a payment of Rs 148.84 crore was made by KSMSCL to various suppliers and firms towards procurement of RT-PCR kits from 2020 to 2022.
The Commission’s report, as cited by the publication, stated that there were records indicating procurement of RT-PCR kits, RNA extraction kits and Viral transport media (VTM) of a total value of Rs 106.25 crore during the pandemic in Karnataka. However, according to the report, this procurement was made without administrative approval.
“Since the KSMSCL has failed to discharge its obligation and responsibility, the loss caused to the State exchequer to this extent is required to be replenished by the erring officers and/or officials of the KSMSCL as well as the officers and/or officials of the consignee designated laboratories who received the consignment,” the report said, pegging the losses due to expired kits supplied by companies at Rs 3.11 crore.
In response to the report’s findings, state Health Minister Dinesh Gundu Rao criticised the saffron party for profiting from the pandemic. He promised accountability for the irregularities involving PPE kits and ventilators, stating that those responsible would face punishment.
