Bhubaneswar, Dec. 8 -- The previous government in Odisha, led by Biju Janata Dal (BJD), has allegedly committed financial irregularities in the management of Covid-19 response, a report of the Comptroller and Auditor General (CAG) of India revealed. The report published on Saturday has sparked political debate in Odisha.

The CAG report highlights the irregularities totalling Rs 144.88 Crore in payments to district Covid hospitals that allegedly occurred without adequate scrutiny of bills.

The report points to specific lapses in financial oversight in the districts of Khurda and Cuttack, where multiple private hospitals, such as Sum Hospital, Hi-Tech, Blue Wheel, KIDS Hospital, Sanjeevani, Aditya Ashwini, and Sparsh Hospital, all in Bhub...