The functioning of the Dental Council of India (DCI) in recommending colleges for approval and appointing its executive council members has come under the scanner Health Minister JP Nadda seeking details of the allegations leveled by a former member of the Council.
Chennai-based Dr JM Jeyarajm, consultant orthodontist, has alleged that the DCI under its president Dibyendu Mazumder has been blatantly misusing the Dentist Act 1948 to ‘appoint’ or ‘retain’ members in the council. As a statutory body, DCI cannot violate Statutes passed by Parliament and subordinate legislation agreed by Parliament, he said.
He gave instances of appointments such as of Dr P Revathi, who is representing Manipur though she is practicing in Andhra Pradesh. Similarly, he questioned the appointment of AC Bhuyan, a member of the executive council of the DCI though his two-year faculty of medicine tenure in Guahati University had expired on December 14 last year. He also alleged that the DCI chief is nominating members of his own choice by opting the Tribunal route from the States, where State Council are not in existence.