Bhopal, July 2 (PTI) Opposition Congress in the Madhya Pradesh assembly on Tuesday targeted minister Vishvas Sarang, who was the medical education minister in the previous BJP government, over alleged irregularities in the grant of permissions to set up nursing colleges in the state and demanded his resignation.
The party also demanded constitution of a joint panel of the house to probe the "nursing scam" before staging a walk-out.
Sarang dismissed the allegations as baseless, and blamed the then Congress government which was in power for 15 months till March 2020 for the irregularities.
The issue was raised by deputy Leader of Opposition Hemant Katare through a calling attention motion.
Katare, Jaivardhan Singh and Leader of Opposition Umang Singhar among others alleged that during Sarang's tenure as medical education minister, a lot of irregularities took place and norms were violated in granting permissions to nursing colleges.
Jaivardhan alleged that at Sarang's behest, many colleges were granted permission even though they were not eligible, and sought to present some letters and documents to prove his point.
The owner of one such college was in jail after the irregularities came to light, he said.
Congress MLA Bhanwar Singh Shekhawat, a former BJP leader, said the whole system including officials and employees from top to bottom are involved in such scams, but only public representatives get blamed.
Citing the example of former minister late Laxmikant Sharma, Shekhawat said in the Vyapam examinations scam, no action was taken against any big official except Sharma.
Shekhawat also blamed the former minister, and some others who were not members of the house, for the nursing scam.
Legislative affairs minister Kailash Vijaywargiya took a strong objection and got his remarks expunged from the proceedings amid heated exchanges with opposition members.
Replying point-by-point to the allegations, Sarang, now sports and youth welfare minister, said the CBI which is probing the scam has termed many colleges "unsuitable", and of these 60 institutions, 39 were set up during the Congress regime.
Health minister Rajendra Shukla said the government was working to expand health services by opening new medical colleges at the district level and granting permission to new nursing colleges in view of the need for trained nurses and doctors.
A case related to the alleged scam was before the high court, and the government will follow the court's directives, he added.
The Leader of Opposition demanded that a panel of the assembly should be constituted to probe the scam, but the government did not accept the demand.
Dissatisfied with the minister's reply, Congress MLAs rushed to the well of the house and shouted slogans before staging a walk-out.
After transacting listed business amid the din, Speaker Narendra Singh Tomar adjourned the house till Wednesday.
The CBI started probing the alleged nursing scam following an order of the Madhya Pradesh High Court in April last year. Recently two CBI officers were allegedly found taking bribes from nursing colleges to give them a clean chit.
The central agency has arrested a total of 13 people in the scam-related cases. PTI MAS KRK
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