Nursing Scam: Oppn raises issue but becomes silent

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

State has been hitting the headlines for wrong reasons after VYAPAM, now the Nursing Scam as the Opposition Congress party apprehended has grabbed the lime light. Not only the scale of corruption but importantly the involvement also prompted investigators who have turned to scamsters, as four CBI officers, including a Deputy Superintendent-rank officer, have been named in the FIR and three have been arrested in the bribery case, has shocked the people. And now new team constituted by the agency will look in to the matter. On the other side, the future of around 1.5 lakh nursing students in the State hangs in the balance amidst court orders and an ongoing CBI investigation. Although recently, the Madhya Pradesh High Court directed that students of 56 nursing colleges, who have obtained stay on probe from Supreme Court allowed to appear in the exam. But the future of rest of lakhs of students are also at stake.

 

The Opposition to target the Mohan Yadav-led BJP government. Congress’ Hemant Katare, Deputy Leader of Opposition in the Assembly, has said a Supreme Court-monitored probe was required. “We have lost faith in the CBI. The agency is functioning as a tool of the BJP. We will question the Government in the Assembly, but if it does not reply convincingly, we will hit the streets.” Government had changed but nothing has been done by our honourable public representatives whether in or outside the Government. The CBI has searched 31 locations across Madhya Pradesh and Jaipur and found over Rs 2.3 crores in cash, 4 gold bars and incriminating documents. Rahul Raj, it is alleged, would co-ordinate with middlemen and share schedule of CBI inspections, fix and collect bribe amounts, and provide suitability report.

 

On other side, Chief Minister on this issue Mohan Yadav had said the government “has to learn from past mistakes” and added he had issued several directions to ensure such irregularities do not happen. He had refused to elaborate, saying that the matter is sub-judice. A new team from the Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) is to take over the investigation into nursing colleges scam after members of the agency’s earlier team allegedly became a part of it.

The Enforcement Directorate can register a separate case under the Prevention of Money Laundering Act against the officers. Also, the colleges tagged “suitable” earlier could be re-examined.