Controversy as Kerala Medical Services Corporation spends around ₹20 L on Tennis Club membership

Thiruvananthapuram: In a startling revelation, the Kerala Medical Services Corporation Limited (KMSCL), the state-run body responsible for purchasing medicines and equipment for government hospitals, spent nearly ₹20 lakh of public funds to secure a corporate membership at the elite Trivandrum Tennis Club. The controversial expenditure took place during the tenure of the first Pinarayi Vijayan-led LDF government.

Government institutions traditionally do not take memberships in private recreational hubs. However, KMSCL acquired its corporate membership in April 2017. The initiative reportedly came from the then KMSCL Chairman and Additional Chief Secretary (Health) Rajeev Sadanandan, who directed the then Managing Director, Navjot Khosa, to process the application. Both top officials were designated as the nominee members under the corporate slot.

The lavish expenditure unfolded when K K Shailaja was the Health Minister. KMSCL initially shellled out ₹11.50 lakh strictly for the entry membership. By 2022, the total outflow from the state exchequer ballooned to ₹19,13,700, covering monthly subscription fees and expenses for holding meetings at the venue. Financial transactions to the club were reportedly halted after August 2022.

The transaction had previously sparked a row in the state legislature. In 2022, the then Health Minister Veena George informed the Assembly that the official files did not contain any clear justification or specific reason as to why the corporation required a tennis club membership. Furthermore, the government side-stepped a direct query regarding whether it was legally permissible for a state-run company to purchase a membership in a private club using public money.