Retd ACS files defamation case against Health Dept

Claims ‘false’ letter tarnished his reputation, delayed retirement benefits

Parvesh Sharma

Tribune News Service

Sangrur, January 9

The state Health department does not have record of senior medical officers (SMOs) and other senior officers who retired between 2017 and 2018. This was revealed in an RTI reply given to Assistant Civil Surgeon Dr Surinder Singla, who retired on June 30, 2018.

Apart from filing a case in the Punjab State Information Commission (PSIC) for complete information under the RTI, Singla has filed a defamation case against the Health Department authorities for tarnishing his reputation by issuing a “false letter” that he had been booked in a vigilance case in Bathinda in 1993. The ACS claimed that he never worked in Bathinda.

“Before my retirement, the then authorities of the Health Department wrote a false letter to then Civil Surgeon that a vigilance FIR had been pending against me in Bathinda despite the fact that I had never worked there during my service. Later, I wrote many letters, but to no avail. The false letter delayed the release of my retirement benefits,” Singla said while showing his documents in Sangrur today.

After he failed to get required documents from his department, he said he filed an RTI application on August 2018 with the Health Department and sought details whether any other Surinder Singla also worked in the department. However, when he did not get any response, he approached the PSIC.

“Surprisingly, since then the authorities issued false letter about the FIR to hide their fault. Officials of the Health Department in information delivered to me under the RTI had written that they do not have the record of SMOs and other officials who retired between January 2017 and 2018,” Singla said, while showing a letter issued by the Health Department authorities.

Finally, after a struggle of more than one-and-a-half years, the PSIC has directed the Health Department authorities to give him required information before January 21.

However, Health and Family Welfare Minister Balbir Singh Sidhu could not be contacted despite repeated attempts.

“I have got state award, but some officials wrote a false letter against me for their vested interests due to which my retirement benefits got delayed. I will take this issue to its logical conclusion to restore my reputation,” he added.