"The government of India knows this and has written many letters," said Bhushan, "there are FIRs and pending CBI inquiries, but no action has been taken."
Even as the Centre ponders disbanding the Medical Council of India entirely, it is now the Dental Council of India's turn in a harsh spotlight, as allegations of massive corruption have come to the fore. Calling the tenure of not just the president of the DCI, but also several members "illegal", DCI member from Kerala Dr. Shaju Joseph, and senior advocate Prashant Bhushan launched an attack on the council in charge of dental education and ethics in the country.
Speaking to the press on Friday, Bhushan and Joseph laid down many charges; DCI president Dr. Dibyendu Majumdar's membership was illegal and also not notified by the government, the appointment of DCI secretary was illegal, DCI had flouted rules in accepting members into the council, money had been demanded from colleges on inspection or for renewing of registration.
"The government of India knows this and has written many letters," said Bhushan, "there are FIRs and pending CBI inquiries, but no action has been taken."
On July 29, 2016, former health Secretary BP Sharma wrote to Jharkhand Chief Secretary, for his "comments" to help the ministry decide on the legality of Majumdar's membership, as the president held posts with the governments of West Bengal and Jharkhand. Joining another state university while being a West Bengal government employee is "illegal" according to Bhushan. Additionally this membership was not notified by the centre.
This, Sharma wrote, was the fourth such letter to the Jharkhand government from November 2015 onwards, and no reply had been received. The letter said the West Bengal government too was "contemplating departmental action" against Majumdar.
Majumdar joined the DCI, being sponsored by the government of West Bengal, as he was a full time Professor in the state's health services. Bhushan said, once the state government decided not to renew their sponsorship, due to emerging allegations of malpractice, he "surreptitiously" became a member of Nilamber Pitamber University, Jharkhand, by becoming an honorary visiting professor of Vananchal Dental College, Garhwa.
Bhushan had written to health minister JP Nadda about the corruption in DCI in November 2014, after he was approached by Dr. Joseph. The latter had been alarmed by the sudden spike in sanctioned MDS seats in 2012, they rose by 200 percent to 1187 in number, and most were allotted in colleges that Dr. Joseph said had no infrastructure or faculty to teach students. He raised the matter in a council meeting, said Dr. Joseph, but received no reply from the president save that there was a need for the seats.
Bhushan and Joseph have asked the centre to expedite all pending FIRs and CBI inquiries concerning the DCI, and also look into the order for biometric attendance of faculties in dental colleges that was withdrawn by Majumdar. The order had been initially passed to ensure colleges had the faculty they claimed, and its scrapping led to a loss of Rs 1.32 crore, according to CAG.
The two also alleged that the DCI secretary, Dr. Sabyasachi Saha has been appointed without following recruitment rules, by ignoring the centre's directions to the DCI and the subsequent letter by the health ministry to the DCI, May 2016, saying that Saha's appointment should be "considered null and void".
There is also an FIR pending against Majumdar by a dental college in Darbhanga, Bihar, from May 2012, on charges of asking for Rs 50 lakh for granting the approval for renewal of the college.
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