CENTAC officials get CBI clean chit on alleged irregularities in MBS admissions, CM counter accuses Kiran Bedi

Puducherry: Citing a CBI letter giving a clean chit to some Puducherry government officials on alleged irregularities in medical admissions here in 2017, taken up by Lt Governor Kiran Bedi, Chief Minister V Narayanasamy on Monday accused her of causing '' mental agony" to them. Speaking to reporters here, he said the government had received a letter from the CBI Director on February 10 that no prima facie case has been made out against the officials and no action has been contemplated against them. The six-member Central Admission Committee (CENTAC), including those from the health department, selected students for medical courses in four deemed to be universities and three medical colleges in 2017 on merit, he said

. However, the management had failed to admit some students recommended by the Medical Council of India for the courses, he said. The Chief Minister said CENTAC immediately drew the attention of the MCI to the matter. In the meanwhile, Bedi ''intervened'' and met higher-ups in MCI with the charge that the officials had failed to admit students in keeping with rules and demanded a probe, he said. MCI then referred the matter to CBI for investigation. The CBI had booked two IAS officers and 11 government officials and private medical college administrators. It had said that the public servants failed to implement proper admission procedures and helped the management of medical colleges by abusing their official position

The agency said 96 eligible students could not get admission because of the ''conspiracy'' and the colleges admitted students not sponsored by CENTAC, by taking fees ranging from Rs 40-50 lakh. The officials facing the CBI probe, including the CENTAC Chairman, later obtained anticipatory bail from the Madras High Court. Narayanasamy alleged that Bedi had visited the CENTAC office here and threatened the officials, "causing agony and mental torture" to them. He pointed out that the officials had only acted as per the rules relating to the admission of students.

The Chief Minister said he and the Health Minister had all along maintained that the officers of CENTAC and Health Department attached to the committee were not at faultand were functioning in consonance with the rules. He charged Bedi with poking her nose in matters over which she has no authority. The ''sufferings'' caused to CENTAC officials was only the tip of the iceberg to focus how the Lt Governor was functioning right from the day she assumed office in 2016, he alleged. The Chief Minister said the earlier Bedi left Puducherry the better and a new era would dawn when that happens.

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