The central government does not have <>much power to take action against the Dental Council of India (DCI) as it has been constituted under an act of parliament, said Union Minister for Health and Family Welfare Ghulam Nabi Azad on Thursday while responding to media on the sideline of a seminar convened his ministry at Mamallapuram, Tamil Nadu.
Answering a query on DCI scam, Health Minister Azad said, "Under the present act, the government does not have much powers because the dental council has been constituted under an act of parliament. The council elects its own secretaries and representatives."
"Under the present law, government is powerless until “DCI has been dissolved and a new law is introduced by passing an ordinance," he said.
Two senior members of the DCI were arrested recently on charges of demanding bribe to provide accreditation to courses offered by dental colleges.
The health minister was in Mamallapuram, about 70 km from here, to attend 'India's Call to Action Summit for Child Survival and Development', a three-day summit organised by his ministry.
According to Azad, for the four years he has been the health minister none of the council members made a courtesy call on him.
He agreed that the existing set up is flawed and that parliament should dissolve the DCI and the government should bring in a new legislation through ordinance.
On action to be taken against the colleges allegedly involved in the scam, Minister of State for Health and Family Welfare S. Gandhiselvan said, "The investigating agencies are looking into the matter and only after the probe is completed that the government will take any action."
--With ANI Inputs--<.p>
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