AIADMK seeks CBI probe into Pondy med admission scam

PUDUCHERRY: AIADMK deputy secretary (Puduchery east) Vaiyapuri Manikandan has demanded a CBI probe into an alleged large scale manipulation by people from other states to secure medical seats in Jawaharlal Institute of Postgraduate Medical Education and Research (Jipmer), the Puducherry government college and other private colleges in the Union territory under Puducherry quota by furnishing fake documents.
In a memorandum addressed to CBI director Praveen Sood, the former MLA from Muthialpet urged the agency to initiate strict legal action against those indulging in corrupt practices. He pointed out that 38 students from Kerala and 162 students from Tamil Nadu have been placed in the merit list for admission to MBBS seats in Jipmer and also the merit list drawn by Puducherry-government instituted Centralized admission committee (Centac). He said six students from Andhra Pradesh have been included in the Centac merit list under economically weaker sections of Yanam regional quota.
Manikandan charged that people managed to obtain fake income certificates, backward class caste certificates, nativity certificates and central government service transfer certificates to get MBBS seats under Puducherry quota in Jipmer, government medical college and private medical colleges in the Union territory. He said corruption and malpractices involving huge sums of money prevail in the allocation of medical seats to students from other states under Puducherry quota.
Puducherry collector E Vallavan said revenue inspectors, deputy tahsildars and village administrative officers exercise due caution in issuing nativity, community and other certificates to candidates applying for medical seats in government and private colleges.
It may be recalled that director (health and family welfare services) and nodal officer (NEET) G Sriramulu in February last year requested Puducherry collector to depute one officer not below the rank of deputy tahsildar each to Jipmer and Centac to verify the genuineness of the nativity and other certificates submitted by the candidates for admission to MBBS courses offered by colleges in Puducherry. The objective of the arrangement was to prevent candidates from other states getting MBBS seats under Puducherry quota in Jipmer and other colleges in the territory.