NEW DELHI (NNN-PTI) -- Uproarious scenes were witnessed in Lok Sabha on Monday 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).
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 May 14.
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 ten 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.
As BJP members protested, Fransisco Sardinha who was in the Chair, ruled "there should be no allegations without substantiation".
Besides Mukherjee, Congress President Sonia Gandhi was present during the heated exchanges between Maneka Gandhi and Azad. However, Sonia was not present when voting took place.
Adhir Chowdhury (Cong), while supporting the bill, countered opposition charges on corruption but his remarks were expunged by the Chair.
He said "a mountain was sought to be made out of a molehill" as the legislation was only meant to extend the tenure of the MCI Board by a year and added "there is nothing to show that the government was hiding anything."
Replying to the debate, Azad said the decision to set up an overarching body - National Commission for Human Resources for Health - was announced in the Presidential Address and a bill was pending with the Standing Committee.
It necessitated the Government to seek an extension to the tenure of the MCI Board of Governors till May next year, he said.
"I have no other option," the Minister said and assured the House that the moment the Standing Committee report is tabled; the Government would push its policy decision and take steps to constitute a democratically elected body.
He also said that MCI will not be dissolved and autonomous institutions like MCI, Nursing Council of India and Dental Council of India will be subsumed under the umbrella NCHRH.
When the Minister moved the Bill for passage, the opposition sought division.
Apprehending defeat of the bill on the floor of the House, government managers including Home Minister P Chidambaram, Parliamentary Affairs Minister Pawan Kumar Bansal, and Azad were seen talking to SP chief Mulayam Singh Yadav. -- NNN-PTI
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