India beat Australia by 20 runs, seal five-match series with 3-1 lead
Raipur, Dec 1: India beat Australia by 20 runs fourth T20I to take an unassailable 3-1 lead in the fourth T20I of the five-match series here on Friday.
Put into bat, Rinku Singh (46 off 29 balls) and Jitesh Sharma (35 off 19 balls) provided late fireworks to take India to 174/9. In reply, Australia scored 154 for 7 in stipulated 20 overs.
Two spinners Axar Patel (3/16 in 4 overs) and Ravi Bishnoi (1/17 in 4 overs) were architects of win after Rinku and Jitesh set up the total.
Brief scores:
India 174/9 in 20 overs (Yashasvi Jaiswal 37, Ruturaj Gaikwad 32, Rinku Singh 46, Jitesh Sharma 35; Ben Dwarshuis 3/40, Tanveer Sangha 2/30).
Australia 154/7 in 20 overs (Matthew Wade 36 not out, Axar Patel 3/16, Ravi Bishnoi 1/17).
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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.
