HC seeks Centre's reply on plea agst corrupt practices in

The Delhi High Court today directed the Centre to respond to a petition seeking constitution of aspecial investigation committee for an independent probe into the allegations of "corrupt practices" in Indian Nursing Council (INC).
The plea has also sought setting up of an oversight committee to oversee INC's functioning on the lines of the Supreme Court's earlier direction which had constituted a three-member panel, headed by former Chief Justice of India R M Lodha, to oversee the functioning of Medical Council of India (MCI) with regard to entrance test.
INC is an autonomous body under the Union Ministry of Health and Family Welfare and it is a national regulatory body for nurses and nursing education in the country.

The petition came up for hearing before a bench comprising Chief Justice G Rohini and Justice Sangita Dhingra Sehgal which asked the Centre to file its reply and posted the matter for hearing to May 11.
Petitioners Vijay Kumar Das and Sumitra Devi have alleged that over Rs 225 crore has been misappropriated at INC "by misrepresentation of INC regulations" which were made and published by the council without approval of the central government.
The plea, filed through advocate Jasbir Singh Malik, also claimed that policies and procedure adopted by INC for its functioning, without the Centre's knowledge, were affecting the quality and quantity of nurses in India.

It claimed that several criminal cases, including graft cases, have been registered against the council on allegations of irregularities and malpractices.
The plea also alleged that several "illegal appointments" have been made in the council and public fund is being spent unnecessarily without following the Government Finance Rules, 2005.
The petitioners have also claimed that last year they had made a representation to the Centre regarding irregularities in the council but no action has been taken yet.