Reiterating demand for a Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) inquiry into the multi-crore Madhya Pradesh Professional Examination Board (MPPEB) scam, the principal Opposition Congress attacked on the ruling BJP in the Assembly on Saturday.
“The irregularities resulted in ruining careers of 78,12,006 students who applied for the Pre-Medical Tests(PMTs) and the Pre-Engineering Tests(PETs) conducted by the MPPEB. Hundreds of meritorious students were also deprived from appearing in the examinations,” ex-Minister Mukesh Nayak of Congress said while participating in a discussion on the Motion of Thanks to the Governor’s Address.
Such deception is unprecedented in the State’s history and if the Chief Minister is sincere about his pledge regarding zero tolerance to graft, then he should immediately recommend a CBI probe into the scam.
Alleging that crores of rupees were accepted in lieu of admission through these tests, he mentioned a former Chief Minister’s observation about the MPPEB irregularities being more mammoth than Bihar’s fodder scam.
“In the fodder scam, animals were deprived of their rights but in MPPEB deception, people became victims,” Nayak said. Pointing towards health services, he narrated the ‘pitiable’ condition of Government hospitals where modern equipment and specialists are ‘unavailable’.
The Member also placed the Treasury Bench in the dock over the ‘plight’ of Scheduled Castes and Scheduled Tribes and alleged that caste certificates were not issued to the SCs and STs. However, Minister of State for Narmada Valley Development and General Administration lal Singh Arya countered saying the predecessor Congress regime was responsible for their quandary.