Sanjeev Pargal
JAMMU, Apr 29: The Medical Education Department has decided to refer to the Cabinet the appointment of new Principal of Government Medical College (GMC), Jammu in place of Dr Aniece Choudhary, who is retiring from the services tomorrow.
Pending formal appointment, the GMC Jammu would have an officiating Principal to whom Dr Choudhary would handover the charge before relinquishing the office.
Commissioner/Secretary Health and Medical Education Department, Manoj K Dwivedi told the Excelsior that the Medical Education Department would be forwarding a proposal to the Cabinet for appointment of new Principal of the GMC Jammu after the Civil Secretariat resumes working in Srinagar, the summer capital of the State, on May 6.
He said the Medical Education Department would be taking into account the recommendations of the Establishment Committee and all other relevant directions before preparing a proposal for submitting it to the Cabinet to take a final call on the posting of new Principal of the GMC Jammu.
Mr Dwivedi, however, clarified that this process would be initiated after the Civil Secretariat resumes working in Srinagar.
Though there was no official version on Establishment Committee recommendations, reliable sources said it had cleared the name of Dr Ganshyam Dev, HoD Radio Diagnosis Department for posting as new Principal. However, the Government allowed Dr Choudhary to continue as the Principal despite all sorts of complaints against him and complete his tenure, which ends tomorrow.
The Establishment Committee headed by the then Chief Secretary Madhav Lal and comprising the then Principal Secretaries of Home, Finance, Health and Medical Education and General Administration Department had considered names of five senior most HoDs for appointment as the Principal.
They included Dr Aniece Choudhary (then HoD ENT and officiating Principal GMC Jammu), Dr Shashi Gupta, HoD Gynecology, Dr Ganshyam Dev, HoD Radio Diagnosis, Dr Rakesh Saraf, then HoD Surgery (now retired) and Dr Zahid Jeelani, HoD Pharmacology.
The Committee had reportedly cleared Dr Ganshyam Dev for appointment as the new Principal. It had submitted its recommendation to the Medical Education Department.
However, the Department kept recommendation of the Establishment Committee pending notwithstanding the fact that there was massive hue and cry against Dr Choudhary both within and outside the GMC Jammu and allowed him to complete his tenure without his confirmation as the Principal by the Cabinet.
According to sources, the Medical Education Department would take all aspects into account including recommendation of the Establishment Committee, genuine seniority list, court observations (if any) and other aspects to manage the prestigious post before finalizing the proposal for submitting it to the Cabinet for final approval and appointment of the Principal.
“Till a final decision on appointment of the Principal was taken by a Cabinet, an interim Principal would continue on the post to whom Dr Choudhary would give the charge,” sources said adding that no formal order has been issued to Dr Choudhary to give charge of the post to a particular Doctor on the ground that it would be an arrangement for just few days as the Medical Education Department would be taking a decision on appointment of new Principal immediately after the Civil Secretariat resumed working in Srinagar.
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