3rd Cadre Review: CAT issues notice to PGI director on contempt petition

Ramkrishan Upadhyay

Chandigarh, November 9

The Chandigarh bench of the Central Administrative Tribunal (CAT) has issued a notice to the PGI director for allegedly not taking a decision on the third Cadre Review Committee’s recommendations within the stipulated time frame as directed by it.

The tribunal, in the order, said that the contempt petition had been filed by the petitioner for willful and intentional disobedience by the respondents of the order issued by it on April 17. “We have gone through the material available on file. There are reasonable grounds to issue a notice to Respondent No. 1 at this stage. Let a notice be issued to it, returnable in six weeks,” the tribunal said. The hearing in the case has been adjourned till January 3 next year.

Plea filed by employees’ union

• The tribunal, in the order, said that the contempt petition had been filed by the petitioner for willful and intentional disobedience by the respondents of the order issued by it on April 17
• After hearing the arguments, the tribunal disposed of the application with a direction to the respondents (the PGI and the Health Ministry) to take a decision on the report of recommendations

Ashwani Kumar Munjal, president, PGI Employees’ Union (non-faculty), had filed the contempt petition through his counsel, Karan Singla.

Munjal had approached the CAT for the implementation of the third Cadre Review Committee’s recommendations. He noted that the last cadre review was undertaken in 1992.

The institute, after re-examining the matter, had again forwarded the draft report to the Health Ministry. The respondents told the tribunal that the report of the third Cadre Review Committee had not been finalised yet.

After hearing the arguments, the tribunal disposed of the application with a direction to the respondents (the PGI and the Health Ministry) to take a decision on the report of recommendations.

The PGIMER had constituted local committees to draft the report. The panel had submitted its draft report to the ministry in April, 2018, for further deliberation. The draft report submitted by the institute was examined. The respondents said a meeting was held on June 11, 2018, to discuss the matter with the institute.