Maneka, Azad spur over alleged scams in medical college licences

New Delhi: Uproarious scenes were witnessed in Lok Sabha today with BJP member Maneka Gandhi having heated exchanges with Health Minister Ghulam Nabi Azad alleging massive corruption in granting licences to medical colleges, a charge strongly refuted by the government. “You can’t level wild allegations without any evidence,” a visibly angry Azad shouted back when Gandhi alleged that crores of rupees were being demanded as bribes by members of the board of governors of the Medical Council of India (MCI).[caption id=“attachment_301155” align=“alignleft” width=“380” caption=“Union Minister for Health and Family Welfare, Ghulam Nabi Azad. Image courtesy PIB”]  [/caption] The BJP member made a scathing attack on the government for turning the MCI into a “cash cow” and indulging in “rampant corruption” and violation of its own rules and even Supreme Court orders. The House was discussing the Indian Medical Council (Amendment) Bill, 2012, seeking to extend the tenure of the MCI board of governors till May 2013 as its current tenure was coming to end on 14 May. The Bill was later passed with 100 votes in favour and 57 against after BJD member Tathagata Satpathy sought a division. The Left and BJD MPs staged a walkout. Maintaining that the board was “making a mockery of all rules”, Gandhi said the CBI had conducted inspections of 10 institutions and found “gross irregularities” like submission of fake or forged certificates by faculty members, fudging of record on clinical materials and deficiency of infrastructure. While such findings by CBI should have led to cancellation of their permits, the colleges were allowed to admit fresh batches of students, she claimed. When she alleged that crores of rupees were being sought as bribes, Azad asserted that no bribe or even gifts have been taken either by him or the ministry or the board. PTI