Bhopal, Jul 1 (PTI) The Madhya Pradesh assembly saw a tumultuous start to its Budget session on Monday as the opposition Congress pushed for a discussion on the alleged nursing college scam through an adjournment motion.
Speaker Narendra Singh Tomar rushed through the scheduled business amidst the commotion, promising to consider the adjournment motion on Tuesday.
Leader of Opposition Umang Singhar, along with other members, appeared in the House wearing aprons of nurses to demand a discussion on the alleged scam, causing disruptions during the proceedings.
Following Question Hour, Singhar insisted on addressing the adjournment motion, emphasising the importance of discussing the issue as it affects thousands of students’ futures. He was joined in by other opposition members who also demanded a debate on the issue.
Legislative Affairs Minister Kailash Vijayvargiya opposed the demand, citing that the issue is currently under the high court’s jurisdiction, and thus, cannot be taken up in the assembly.
Singhar countered by clarifying that their demand for discussion does not overlap with the court’s considerations but rather pertains to the government’s accountability regarding the functioning of the nursing council.
Amid the din, Congress member Bhanwar Singh Shekhawat stood and vociferously sought to take up the adjournment motion, levelling serious allegations that could not be heard due to the noise.
After that, the BJP members rose in one accord, and amid noisy scenes, the Speaker adjourned the session for nearly one hour.
When the House reassembled, the opposition reiterated its demand and stalled the proceedings.
The leader of the House and chief minister Mohan Yadav said the government was not avoiding debate, adding that the CBI probe was ongoing in the (nursing college) scam on the High Court’s order, and as per the rule book, the issue couldn’t be taken up in the House.
Dissatisfied with Yadav’s statement, the opposition continued to pressure the government on the matter.
To broker peace in the House, the Speaker said he would take an appropriate call on the adjournment motion moved by the Congress at 12 on Tuesday.
After his assurance, the Speaker rushed through the list business and adjourned the House in the afternoon until Tuesday.
The CBI is probing the scam about gross irregularities in the functioning of several nursing colleges that lacked infrastructure, with some existing only on paper.
On May 30, the Madhya Pradesh High Court directed a reinspection of 169 nursing colleges, which had been given a clean chit by the CBI in the scam case, in light of two officers of the probe agency being caught allegedly taking bribes from institutions for favourable reports.
The court also directed a committee headed by a retired high court judge to visit nursing colleges and hospitals with deficient infrastructure to assess the ground reality and submit its findings.
The probe agency furnished its report to the court in January, stating that it found 169 colleges suited to function, while 73 colleges lacked infrastructure and 66 were unsuited. PTI LAL MAS NSK
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