Ministry justifies appointment of Surjit Singh as PGI Dean

Ramkrishan Upadhyay

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Chandigarh, May 29

President of the PGI governing body (Union Minister of Health and Family Welfare) is not bound by the recommendation of the PGIMER Director. This has been stated by the Ministry of Health in a reply submitted before the Chandigarh Bench of the Central Administrative Tribunal (CAT).

The ministry had filed the reply on a notice issued by CAT on an application filed by Prof Naresh Panda of the PGI. The latter had challenged the order dated March 8, issued by the Ministry of Health and Family Welfare, vide which Dr Surjit Singh had been appointed as Dean (Academic), PGI.

While hearing his application, CAT had directed the PGI Director on March 11 not to accept the joining report of Dr Surjit Singh and to continue with the present arrangement till the next date of hearing.

In the application, Panda said he was the senior-most professor and should have been considered for Dean (Academics). Instead, he was appointed Dean (Research). He claimed that the Director had sent a panel recommending his name on the basis of seniority and suitability.

In reply, the ministry further said the issue of seniority of PGI professors as decided recently by a committee had not been finalised as Singh had represented against the same in an appeal addressed to the president of the governing body. Various representations against the seniority list decided by the committee are still under consideration.

The ministry also claimed that when the post of Dean fell vacant on April 19, 2023, Singh was the senior-most professor.

On the other hand, Panda in the application filed before the Bench claimed that Singh had been appointed by ignoring the recommendation of the PGI Director and his seniority. He also said the matter had not been placed before the governing body of the PGI and claimed the appointment had been made by the president on his own.