BHOPAL (TIP): The Madhya Pradesh government will take the ordinance route to rechristen and overhaul the tainted examination and recruitment agency, Vyapam, after it failed to bring a bill in the monsoon session of the state assembly, which lasted all of three days. Ruckus over the Vyapam scam forced the Speaker to adjourn the assembly sine die on Wednesday.

Chief minister Shivraj Singh Chouhan wants to change Madhya Pradesh Vyavsayik Pariksha Mandal, better known as Vyapam, to MP Pravesh Evam Bharti Pariksha Mandal as Vyapam has become a dirty word. However, Chouhan ran into trouble at a meeting of senior ministers that he had called on Monday to discuss the draft bill for rechristening Vyapam, sources said.

At present, only an officer of the chief secretary rank is eligible for appointment as Vyapam chairman and Chouhan wants to change this provision to include retired chief secretaries. However, known Chouhan baiter and his cabinet colleague Babulal Gaur opposed this proposal despite chief secretary Anthony DeSa’s plea that at times it becomes difficult to get an officer of CS level for the post.

“My only concern was that it would be difficult to fix accountability of a retired chief secretary,” Gaur said.

Technical education minister Umashankar Gupta, who also attended the meeting, confirmed the move on the ordinance. “The government wants to further streamline Vyapam by bringing autonomy. There should be more monitoring and period of the officials on deputation should be fixed,” he said.

However, he refused to reveal more, saying: “When would it (ordinance) be done can’t be said.”

Ironically, the day the government was discussing how to cleanse the scam-ridden body, Vyapam received an ISO certification.