New Delhi, September 5
The Delhi High Court today issued show cause notices to AIIMS director and union health minister on a contempt petition accusing them of violating court direction to frame guidelines for the appointment of a registrar in the institution.
Justice Gita Mittal asked the AIIMS director P. Venugopal and union health minister Anbumani Ramadoss to file their replies by October 31 on the contempt petition of Manoj Kumar.
The court also sought their response giving details about
the reasons for delay in complying with its March 7 order directing them to frame guidelines for the appointment of the registrar.
The court had earlier asked them to frame guidelines within six weeks on a petition filed by Kumar, which pointed out that the absence of rules and guidelines had led to the ad hoc registrar continuing to occupy the post.
The petitioner had alleged that the director said that he was the authority to appoint the registrar while the health minister, who is also ex-officio president of the institute, claimed he was the appointing authority.
Kumar also brought to the court’s notice that due to differences between the director and the president of the institution, the students were suffering without their fault.
Meanwhile, the health minister’s refusal to sign the certificates of students of AIIMS again came under the scanner of the high court which made it plain that the minister should have no problem in signing the certificates.
“Once there is a ruling of this court the problem should have been worked out,” Justice S. Ravindra Bhatt observed.
The minister yesterday signed 49 certificates in compliance with the court and a group of 17 students complained that theirs have not been signed yet.
— PTI
