Union Health Secy appears before SCCommission

Tribune News Service

Chandigarh, November 17

The Secretary of the Union Health Ministry today appeared before the National Commission for Scheduled Castes in New Delhi in the case of alleged lacunae in the selection process of the new PGI Director.

According to sources, Health Secretary CK Mishra submitted his report with details of the list of applicants for the post of PGI Director. The Commission is stated to have fixed the next hearing into the case for December 12.

Notably, the National Commission for Scheduled Castes had, on November 10, directed the Union Health Ministry to put on hold the appointment of the Director, PGI, Chandigarh, after a body of the Schedule Castes and Schedule Tribes (SC/ST) employees at the PGI wrote to the Commission alleging discrimination against SC category candidates during the process to select the PGI Director.

The Secretary of the Ministry was asked to appear in person and submit his report during today’s hearing. He is the chairperson of the Selection Committee for the appointment. The Commission had summoned the Secretary for a hearing on November 10, but the Joint Secretary of the Ministry appeared before it.

In a representation to the Commission, the Scheduled Castes and Scheduled Tribes Employees Welfare Association said the institute advertised the post of the Director in March/April this year against which nearly 30 persons had applied, including five SC candidates.

For the post, an interview with a slide presentation was held in October in the Ministry. No SC member was included in the selection committee. As many as 26 candidates, including five SC candidates, were interviewed, it added.

The association said the PGI body met on November 3 to shortlist three candidates, including an SC, to be forwarded to the Appointments Committee of the Cabinet, which would choose one of them. It alleged that though the SC candidate was the senior most, his name had been relegated behind the two, who were much junior to him.