Inflated medical bills leave minister in a fix
Shylaja accused of causing expense of Rs400,000 to the state
Medical bills and a pair of expensive glasses have landed Kerala’s minister for health and social justice, K.K. Shylaja, in trouble as allegations of forging medical bills came to light.
The Vigilance and Anticorruption Bureau has begun a preliminary investigation into the petition against the minister.
The complaint against the minister was filed by Bharatiya Janata Party leader and the party’s state general secretary, K. Surendran.
The complaint alleges that Shylaja misused her position in the government to fabricate documents and cause an expense of nearly Rs400,000 (Dh23,198) to the state exchequer.
The complaint points out that the minister’s act is a violation of the Members of Kerala Legislative Assembly (Medical Facilities) Rules, 1994, which deals with medical reimbursement claims of members of the assembly.
Lying by omission
Shylaja is also accused of keeping secret the information that her husband, K. Bhaskaran, is a former lower primary school headmaster and a pensioner of the government, who has also been chairman of a local municipality.
She allegedly declared he is her dependent in order to claim reimbursement for his medical expenses.
The minister is also accused of buying a pair of spectacles costing Rs28,800 and charging it to the government.
Shylaja, however, has refuted the allegations, pointing out that ministers are permitted to claim medical reimbursements of family members and that the spectacles were bought following medical advice.
Sarcastic rebuttals
A special unit of the Vigilance and Anti-Corruption Bureau at the state capital is looking into the complaints against the minister.
In the initial phase the team will verify if the complaint is factually correct.
On social media, the minister faced criticism and sarcasm. One commentator said it was a shame that she represented a workers’ party, while another commented sarcastically that it was her right to first protect her family’s health before taking care of the health of the people of the state.