Chennai, Feb 7 (IANS): The central government does not have much powers to act against the Dental Council of India (DCI) as it has been constituted under an act of parliament, union Minister for Health and Family Welfare Ghulam Nabi Azad said Thursday.

"Under the present act, the government does not have much powers because the dental council has been constituted under an act of parliament. The council elects its own secretaries and representatives," Azad said while answering a query on the DCI scam.

Two senior members of the DCI were arrested recently on charges of demanding bribe to provide accreditation to courses offered by dental colleges.

The health minister was in Mamallapuram, about 70 km from here, to attend 'India's Call to Action Summit for Child Survival and Development', a three-day summit organised by his ministry.

He said under the present law, the government was powerless unless "we dissolve and change the law to assume the powers".

According to Azad, for the four years he has been the health minister none of the council members made a courtesy call on him.

He agreed that the existing set up is flawed and that parliament should dissolve the DCI and the government should bring in a new legislation through ordinance.

On action to be taken against the colleges allegedly involved in the scam, Minister of State for Health and Family Welfare S. Gandhiselvan said: "The investigating agencies are looking into the matter and only after the probe is completed that the government will take any action."