Health Infra Scam: ACB Books Satyendar Jain, Saurabh Bhardwaj Over Delays, Cost Inflation
New Delhi, 26th June: The Delhi Anti-Corruption Branch (ACB) has registered a case of corruption against former Delhi Health Ministers Saurabh Bhardwaj and Satyendar Jain, along with unnamed officials and contractors, following serious allegations of financial mismanagement in the capital’s health infrastructure projects.The FIR follows a complaint by then Leader of Opposition Vijender Gupta, who flagged major irregularities in 24 hospital projects sanctioned during 2018–19, with a total estimated cost of ₹5,590 crore. The projects included 11 greenfield (new) and 13 brownfield (redevelopment) hospitals intended to overhaul Delhi’s healthcare capacity.
According to the ACB, none of the hospitals have been completed. Several projects have witnessed massive cost escalations and significant delays, raising concerns of embezzlement and mismanagement. One ICU hospital project worth ₹1,125 crore, which aimed to deliver 6,800 beds within six months, remains only 50% complete after three years, with ₹800 crore already spent.
The complaint also revealed:
- Unauthorized constructions and abandoned sites at multiple locations.
- Violations of tender processes and inflated costs.
- The LNJP Hospital block’s cost rising from ₹488 crore to ₹1,135 crore.
- Only 52 out of 94 polyclinics constructed, many of which are non-operational despite a ₹220 crore expenditure.
In addition, the Health Information Management System (HIMS) — designed to digitize hospital operations and improve transparency — was never implemented. The free e-Hospital system, developed by the National Informatics Centre (NIC), was abruptly rejected, raising further questions.
Following verification and statutory approval under Section 17A of the Prevention of Corruption Act, the ACB filed the FIR under multiple provisions of the Prevention of Corruption Act and Indian Penal Code, including charges of criminal conspiracy, cheating, and criminal breach of trust.
A full-scale probe has now been launched to determine the extent of the alleged corruption, the role of the former ministers, and the accountability of government officials and private contractors involved.
