MP Govt To Introduce Tough Law Against Illegal Colonies Amid Legislative Assembly Debate On Nursing Scam

Bhopal (Madhya Pradesh): The Madhya Pradesh government on Thursday told the legislative assembly that it was considering bringing a tough law to keep a check on illegal colonies in the state.

"Illegal colonies are a big problem. A nexus is working in the state. MP Chief Minister Mohan Yadav has already given instructions to frame a tough law to deal with the problem of illegal colonies," state Urban Development and Housing Minister Kailash Vijayvargiya told the House during the Question Hour.

The government would come up with a bill to this effect, he said. The minister added that the existing illegal colonies won't be regularised, but basic amenities would be made available in such dwellings.

Vijayvargiya, who is also the MP Legislative Affairs Minister, was replying to the questions raised separately by two BJP MLAs Hardeep Singh Dang and Rajendra Pandey over the mushrooming illegal colonies and the plight of the residents. The opposition Congress also targeted the state government over the nursing scam.

After the question hour got over, Leader of the Opposition Umang Singhar sought a debate on the breach of privilege motion against state minister Vishvas Sarang in the nursing scam. He was joined by other Congress members. Speaker Narendra Tomar said he will take a call on the Congress' demand after examining their proposal.

The Congress legislators have been alleging that MP Sports, Youth Welfare and Co-operative Minister Sarang, who was medical education minister in the past, has provided incorrect information to the House over the nursing scam, which amounts to breach of privilege.

MP High Court Orders Re Inspection of 169 Colleges After CBI Bribery Allegations

Since Monday, when the monsoon session of the state assembly began, the Congress has trained its gun on Sarang and is targeting the government over the nursing scam.

On May 30, the Madhya Pradesh High Court directed reinspection of 169 nursing colleges, which were given a clean chit by the Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) in the scam case, in light of two officers of the probe agency being caught allegedly taking bribes from institutions for favourable reports.

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 probe agency furnished its report to the court in January, stating that it found 169 colleges suited to function, while 73 colleges lacked infrastructure and 66 were unsuited, he said.