Nishikant Khajuria
JAMMU, Aug 19: Adhocism is severely affecting fitness of Health Department and its various wings, which are lying headless since past some months as Government is delaying filling up of these top positions.
Seven top positions in the Health Departments and its wings are falling vacant for the last few months following superannuation or transfer of the concerned heads. These positions include State level post of Director Family Welfare, which is lying vacant for the last five month, official sources informed the Excelsior.
Even the post of Director Health Jammu has also not been filled on temporary basis but adhoc as no formal order is so far issued appointing the incumbent Dr Baljeet Singh Pathania on the position.
According to the sources, the Directorate of Family Welfare is headless since March 2013 following the superannuation of then Director. Similarly the post of State Malarialogist is also lying vacant since May 2013, sources added.
The other top positions lying vacant in the State Health Department include Chief Medical Officer Reasi since May 2013, Divisional Nutrition Officer for the last one month, Chief Administrative Officer in the Labour Department since February 2013, Assistant Director Rehbar-e-Sehat since May 2013 and Block Medical Officer Akhnoor.
Dr Baljeet Singh Pathania, who took over as Director Health Jammu on superannuation of Dr B D Sharma on September 30, is holding the charge of this very significant position on adhoc basis as the Government preferred not to issue any formal order on his new appointment apparently for avoiding any legal controversy, sources explained.
Pertinent to mention here that Dr Pathania is junior to Dr Baldev Sharma who was supposed to be appointed as new Director Health but State Government verbally asked the former to assume charge after superannuation of Dr B D Sharma.
Interestingly, Dr B D Sharma, who remained Director Health for about three months following shifting of Dr Madhu Khullar, was also given charge of the Directorate on temporary basis.
The prevailing adhocism is severely affecting functioning of Health Department and its wings while employees are also suffering because of delaying tactics of the Government on filling up of top positions.
Due to vacant position of Director Family Welfare, a number of employees of the Directorate under the head 2211 are without salary for the last five months, sources informed. DPC is getting delayed while the officers are not in a position to take any decision owing to adhocism, sources added.
When contacted, the Minister of State for Health (Independent Charge) Shabir Ahmad Khan said that the positions were lying vacant due to modification process in the Recruitment Rules for Gazetted Services. “As the modification process is completed with issuance of new SRO, seniority of the Gazetted officers in Health Department is being fixed as per the new rules and all the top positions, including Director Health will be filled up on permanent basis very soon, he added.
It may be mentioned here that after some modifications in SRO- 260 of 2006 for the Jammu Kashmir Gazetted Recruitment Rules in Health Department, the new SRO-235 was issued on July 2013.
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