Bhopal, May 31 (PTI) Senior Congress leader Digvijaya Singh on Friday alleged that more than 300 nursing colleges in Madhya Pradesh were granted permission to function in return for money by the state's previous BJP government and sought a probe into these irregularities through an SIT under a sitting judge of the Hight Court.
Terming irregularities in nursing colleges and paramedical courses as "Vyapam-2" and "Vyapam-3", respectively, he also praised the Central Bureau of Investigation for taking action against its own officials.
The CBI is probing the scam pertaining to gross irregularities in the functioning of several nursing colleges that lacked infrastructure while some existed only on paper. The central agency arrested two of its officers for allegedly taking bribes from institutes to give favourable reports after inspection.
In a letter to Prime Minister Narendra Modi, Rajya Sabha MP Singh alleged the "scam" took place under the previous Shivraj Singh Chouhan government and then medical education minister Vishvas Sarang in connivance with health department officials.
Singh also said in the letter that the High Court ordered a CBI probe but the premier investigative agency's officials were also caught taking bribes, which had made the entire probe suspicious.
The former chief minister, while talking to reporters, termed the scam as Vyapam-2 and Vyapam-3. The Vyapam scam refers to irregularities in the admission to professional medical courses and recruitment in government services which took place several years ago. It was probed by the CBI on court orders.
In the letter, Singh alleged that, violating all norms during the COVID-19 pandemic, officials who were given protection by the ruling regime gave permission to open more than 300 nursing colleges and run paramedical courses in the state.
Singh urged the PM to set up an SIT under an HC judge and comprising honest CBI officials to probe the "scam".
Earlier in the day, Madhya Pradesh Chief Minister Mohan Yadav, while addressing a press conference, said his government will act as per directives of the court. He was replying to media queries on the alleged involvement of Sarang.
On Monday, the CBI had said it had arrested 13 people, including two of its own inspectors, in connection with a "nursing scam" in Madhya Pradesh, which is being probed by the central agency following a High Court order.
These accused, including CBI inspectors Rahul Raj and Sushil Kumar Majoka, three alleged touts Om Goswami, Ravi Bhadoria and Jugal Kishore as well as three women, a CBI release had stated.